Duality
by Brainlock
Summary: Having written the bulk of “Darkness” before s3 played out, I found the show went in a diff direction than I thought it would. I eventually figured out where my story really diverged. Here’s what happened in my s3 AU, and it’s all Matt's fault. Complete!
1. Chapter 1

**HEROES: Duel, p1**

**Disclaimer: I own nuttink! Some lines cribbed from Jeph Loeb's script of 3.13, "Dual".**

**Notes: Having written the bulk of "Darkness" before s3 played out, I found the show went in a different direction than I thought it would. I eventually figured out where my story and the show canon really diverged. Here's what happened in my AU, and it's all Matt's fault, as usual. (sorry, Grunny!)**

**It was Daphne who suggested they look for Suresh at the lab PrimaTech had set up for him in downtown New York, the former loft of precognitive artist Isaac Mendez. Matt thought it slightly ironic that Isaac's sketchbook had told them what happened to Hiro, and that the time-traveler's only hope of rescue may lie in the former home of the man who inspired Hiro's search for destiny in America.**

**Daphne's idea that he could screw up history, even by dying wasn't funny to Matt as he rolled his eyes and opened the door to the studio apartment-slash-lab. "Mohinder!" he called out to the empty loft.**

**Of course, Mohinder was nowhere to be found, much less the formula that they had come looking for.**

"**You said he'd be here and we could get the formula," Ando bemoaned.**

"**No, I said I **_**thought**_** he'd be here," Matt corrected him as the Japanese man continued on about how they were going to save his friend.**

"**If Suresh isn't here, he's probably in his lab," Daphne offered.**

"**At Pinehearst? Too dangerous," Matt said, shaking his head.**

"**For who? Someone has to get him," she replied.**

"**No," Matt insisted.**

**She smirked.**

**Matt didn't have to be a mind reader to know what she was thinking. "Daphne, **_**STOP!" **_**he called after the purple blur.**

**She came to a halt in the doorway, mid-step.**

"**Daphne?" he called up to her. She relaxed her body, standing straight, but otherwise not moving.**

**Matt and Ando shared a look and went up to her. She was staring straight ahead like a zombie.**

"**Daphne?" Matt asked again. No response. He waved his hand and snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Daph?" he asked again, worry edging into his voice.**

**She blinked and looked at Matt in confusion, who breathed a sigh of relief. **

"**Sorry, about that," he apologized. "I didn't mean to, uh, mind zap you or whatever, just make you stop. Sorry."**

**She smirked at Matt, who looked like the proverbial kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Matt, you know one of us has to go and get Suresh and the formula," she explained. "I know where it is, and I'm fast enough they won't realize I'm there until it's too late to stop me!"**

"**Like I just stopped you?" he asked. "No, you can't go alone. I won't let you."**

"**Matt--" she protested.**

"**We're coming with you," he said. "I might be able to talk some sense into Mohinder."**

**She smiled at him. "Well, what are we waiting for?" She grabbed both men and the trio soon found themselves in another building in New Jersey.**

"**Again, I really like teleporting better!" Ando insisted as he leaned against the wall to collect himself.**

**Matt found himself on the floor, having lost his balance upon their arrival and rapid deceleration. "I'm starting to agree with you," he groaned as he picked himself up.**

**Daphne rolled her eyes. "Come on guys, we don't have much time. The lab's this way," she said as she started down the hall.**

"**Daphne, wait!" Matt called after her, but she was already gone. He shook his head at her rash actions and suddenly found himself looking into her perky face already.**

"**Miss me?" she said, holding up a syringe.**

**Matt sighed. "I said **_**together**_**, we do this together, Daphne."**

**Daphne started to reply, but they heard a large crash coming from the direction she had run off to. "That sounded like it came from the lab!"**

"**Stay here," Matt insisted and started off down the hall. "And get Ando and the formula out of here if anyone tries to approach you!" he called back to them.**

**Matt made his way down the hall, sending out a mental pulse to see if anyone was near. Four familiar 'voices' came back to him. Mohinder was scared, Peter upset, but they were together. **_**They should be alright, then, right? **_**Matt thought as he concentrated on the other two. Nathan was groggy and slightly confused, while the other was...Knox? **_**Uh-oh. Better see to Nathan, first!**_

**Matt followed the second pair of thoughts to a nearby office. He peeked around the open door to see Knox fuming at Nathan, and a man dressed in military green lying on the floor, neck twisted at an odd angle. **_**What's going on here? Better play it safe, Parkman.**_

**Matt stepped to the door to hear his former friend say Peter was "one of the good guys, now."**

"**What are you doing to Nathan, Knox?" he demanded.**

**Knox whirled, fuming. "Parkman? I thought I killed you?"**

"**Matt?" Nathan said in surprise.**

**Matt smirked. "Let him go, Knox. I know you don't want to hurt either of us."**

"**That's what you think, Parkman!" he said charging his one-time mentor.**

**WHAM! Knox suddenly fell to the ground, unconscious.**

"**What the hell?" Nathan asked. He looked back up to see the thick office door was suddenly closed and had a Knox-sized dent in the thick wood at head height.**

**Matt opened the door and asked, "Are you alright, Nathan?"**

**The other man smirked. "I am now that you're here, Parkman. Come on, you can help me stop Peter from destroying the Formula." He started to push past Matt into the hallway.**

"**Wait, what?" he asked, putting his hand on Nathan's chest, pushing him back into the room. "I thought we wanted to stop people from using this formula?"**

"**We are. We're going to stop the formula from being given to the wrong people," he explained.**

"**And who gets to decide that? You?"**

"**Matt, there are already a squad of Marines waiting to be injected right this moment," Nathan explained. "With their help, we can see to it that people like Knox and my father never get out of line again."**

"**According to whose rules?" Matt demanded, growing angry. "And what if they do step out of line? What are you going to do, then? Throw them in jail? Some of us have powers that can't be easily contained!"**

"**Then we round them up, re-educate them," Nathan said coldly.**

"**Re-educate?" Matt was stunned. Was Nathan implying what he thought he was implying? "Concentration camps?"**

"**Exactly, just like Guantanamo Bay," Nathan replied matter of factly.**

"**What about Auschwitz? Or Buchenwald? Or-or Tule Lake and Manzanar!?" Matt shouted. "I don't like the way you're thinking, and I'm sure neither would a lot of other people! People like Hiro and-and Claire! None of us wanted these powers, but we're trying to do the best we can with them!"**

**Nathan was taken aback. "What are you talking about, Parkman?"**

"**I'm Jewish, Nathan, and I'm sure Hiro and Ando wouldn't like being arrested for no reason like they did back in the Forties during the war! Like that guy from Star Trek who spent time in one as a kid! As a **_**little kid**_**, Nathan!" he explained. "Kids like Molly, or even yours! That's what you're saying isn't it?"**

"**They won't put kids in those kind of camps, Parkman," Nathan protested, not really believing himself.**

"**So when they come for your boys, Claire, Molly, Micah, hell, maybe even my own ex-wife's unborn child, you won't stop them?" Matt demanded. "I'd die before I let that happens, Nathan! Even to your kids!"**

**Nathan held up his hands. "Nothing of the sort, Parkman! I'm just talking about rounding up the bad guys and--"**

"**And who decides who is 'bad'? You? Or do they just have to have an arrest record?" Matt countered. He gestured to the man laying unconscious on the floor next to the man whose neck he had snapped with his own bare hands. "I knew Knox here since he was a kid. I tried to get him to quit the gangs, because I knew he was a good kid at heart. I thought I had talked him into leaving, but he suddenly found himself **_**running**_** the same gang he tried to break away from. I guess I can figure out why, now."**

**Nathan raised an eyebrow at this confessed connection. "Matt, it's not like that," Nathan protested again. "I'll talk to the government, let them know we exist and we can work things out from there!"**

"**Listen, Claire told me about this guy, Canfield," Matt explained. "Your own mother had him locked up in Level 5, PrimaTech's own prison for people like us. Bennet said that's where they put my father after we stopped him from using Niki to kill Bishop. This Canfield, he could create **_**black holes**_**, Nathan. He killed his neighbor **_**by accident **_**when his power first manifested. Just like Ted gave unknowingly his wife cancer. All Canfield wanted was to go home to his wife and family, but Bennet tried to make him kill Sylar for his freedom. He refused and jumped into one of his own black holes to escape this madness. Not everybody deserves to be locked up, Nathan!"**

"**There are drunk drivers who kill people by accident every day, Parkman. They serve time for that. Surely you're aware of that?" Nathan countered. "We just need to police our own, keep people like Sylar from wreaking havoc."**

"**Nine-Eleven, Nathan! Oklahoma! People were calling for Mid-Eastern **_**looking**_** people to be rounded up and deported with no reason! People like us, we look like everybody else! Do you know the chaos that would create? The Red Scare in the Fifties would pale in comparison! Innocent people would suffer being blacklisted just because someone thinks they're 'different,' even if it's something normal, like being gay." Matt fumed. "Hell, Peter even came back from the future once already to stop you from exposing us!"**

"**It won't be like that, Matt! Trust me. There aren't witch hunts for gays, are there?"**

"**Matthew Shepard ring a bell, Nathan? Jasper, Texas? I'm sure I can come up with a dozen more examples I've witnessed personally on the beat," Matt threw it back in his face. "I'm glad you're suddenly such good friends with Barney Frank up on Capitol Hill, Senator Petrelli, but don't you think he worries about becoming the victim of a hate crime just because he's gay? It **_**will**_** be like that, Nathan, I've seen it all to often on the beat. New York and LA."**

**Nathan eyed Matt warily. "How'd you know I was appointed a Senator, Matt?"**

"**Your mother told me. She and Daphne caught me up to speed after I woke her up from the coma your father put her in, Nathan. By the way, you're welcome for that! Now stop changing the subject!"**

**Nathan took a step back, almost lost his balance. They both looked down to see the puddle of blood soaked into the carpet.**

"**Whose blood is that?"**

**Nathan grimaced, staring at it. "My father's. Peter came here to kill him, but Sylar did it for him."**

"**Sylar's here? Does he have your father's powers?"**

"**Long gone, by now," Nathan mused. "Much like my father's body. And no, it was a bullet to the brain."**

"**What happened to his body?"**

"**I don't know," Nathan shrugged. "I found Peter in here staring at it, still holding the gun. We argued, he knocked me out, then that Marine woke me up, Knox came in and then you did."**

"**Somebody took your father's body?"**

"**Now who's changing the subject, Parkman?"**

**Matt shot Nathan a dirty look. "Where's Peter, then?"**

**Nathan shrugged. Both men locked eyes.**

"**The lab!" they said in unison and ran out the room, Matt calling for Mohinder, while Nathan called out Peter's name.**

**They heard a commotion as they approached the lab. Glass shattering, things being tossed and broken. Mohinder shouting.**

"**These are your accomplices, Peter! Thugs. Killers. What does that make you?"**

**As they entered the lab, they heard Mohinder cry out and saw Flint toss him across the room.**

"**Get away from him!" Matt shouted, concerned over his friend. Daphne had said he had become disfigured from his own formula, but Matt couldn't tell from the brief glimpse he caught of Mohinder crashing to the ground.**

**Peter ran to Suresh first as Flint turned to face the pair in the doorway.**

"**Who is this guy?" Matt asked, wishing he had his sidearm.**

"**Flint, stand down!" Nathan ordered. "I'm in charge now, that means you work for me."**

"**No, I don't think so," the pyrokinetic replied in his southern drawl. "You want to give out powers, we won't be so special, any more. We can't have that, can we?" He flicked his hands and blue fire erupted from his palms.**

"**Whoa!" Matt exclaimed in surprise, holding his hands out. "Calm down, man, we're not going to hurt you!"**

"**Good thing I ain't making the same promise, innit?"**

"**And what do you think Meredith is going to do to you when you kill her daughter's father, Flint?" Nathan asked the man. A bit too smugly for Matt's taste. "You know she'll kick your ass, and that's only for starters."**

**Flint hesitated, unsure who to attack first, Nathan or Matt. "You-you leave my sister out of this!" he yelled, confused and frustrated.**

**Matt looked between the two men. How many of the people they know were related? **_**Kevin Bacon has nothing on us**_**, he joked to himself. He could sense Flint's agitation and Nathan's attitude, not a good combination in any case, especially so one where someone could throw fire from his hands. He then felt Peter's concern slowly turning to anger.**

"**Peter? Peter, how's Mohinder?" he asked, looking behind Flint, hoping the man wouldn't take advantage of his distraction.**

**Unfortunately, this only served to remind Flint that he was now surrounded and his flames grew brighter as he turned to look where Peter and Mohinder were. Matt and Nathan both had to hold up their hands because of the heat.**

"**Get him over here!" Flint yelled. "I don't want anyone sneaking up behind me!"**

**Peter looked up at the man. "I thought you and I are on the same side, remember?"**

"**The only side I'm on is mine!" he snarled back.**

**Behind him, Nathan nodded to Matt and thought toward him a telepathic message. Matt nodded and moved to his right, getting Flint's attention.**

"**Stay where you are, fat boy!" the pyro yelled.**

**Matt scowled at the comment. "I just want to see if my friend is alright."**

**Flint waved his fiery fist toward Matt. "I said get back!"**

**It was at that moment that Nathan struck him with a pipe he had picked up. Flint stumbled forward into Matt, who was momentarily glad the man lost his concentration, causing his fists to go out.**

**However, Matt found himself knocked off balance by Flint collapsing and fell back into a large clear tub of red liquid. The tub fell to the ground and splashed toward Peter and Mohinder.**

**Nathan stood over Flint and kicked him hard, knocking the wind from his lungs.**

**As Matt picked himself up, he heard Mohinder sputtering. "Mohinder? You okay back there?" He went to his friend as Peter tried picking the Indian up.**

**Matt noticed dark splotches (sores? he wondered) on Suresh's hands and face slowly melt away where they had been drenched. He absentmindedly licked his lips, then scrunched his face, not liking the taste of the formula.**

"**Matt, help me get him up in that chair," Peter asked. **

**Matt turned to see a fallen stool behind him. He picked it up and Peter helped Suresh into it. "You feeling alright, Prof?"**

**Suresh wiped the liquid from his mouth. "I think so. I actually think that I can breathe again. Was that the formula?"**

**Matt nodded. "If your talking about the red kool-aid, then, yeah. Sorry to ruin your experiment."**

**Mohinder waved him off, coughing. "I can always make another batch. If Arthur will let me, that is."**

**The other three men shared a dark look.**

"**What? What happened?" he asked.**

**Peter glared at Nathan when he answered. "Dad's dead. There won't be any more viable formula. The Catalyst died with him."**

**Mohinder looked from Peter to Nathan and finally to Matt, who nodded. He hung his head in defeat, then his eyes went wide. "We have to save as much of this off the floor as we can! We can still help--"**

**Matt and Nathan responded in unison. "No."**

"**It's not right," Matt continued, giving Nathan a tentative look. "We don't have the right to play God, Mohinder.**

**Nathan nodded. "I didn't ask to be injected. My parents had no right to do that to me. We can't give these powers out willy-nilly to people only we think are worthy of them." He looked at Peter. "That's what dad wanted. We can't make the same mistakes he did."**

"**What?" Peter asked in surprise. "What made you change your mind?"**

**Nathan grimaced and glanced to Matt. "Someone had another point of view I hadn't considered. I, uh, I guess I didn't think things through and--"**

"**I don't give a rat's ass what you think!" Flint yelled.**

"**Nathan, get down!" Peter yelled, lunging at his brother.**

**Matt lunged past the pair and tackled Flint, who had been moments away from burning Nathan, knocking him out again when his head hit the floor. "Do you have anything around here to tie this guy up?" he asked.**

"**Yes, I'll get some cord," Mohinder said as he jumped up from his stool and took a step toward the counter when he slipped from the Formula-slick floor, knocking what little instruments remained on the counter to the floor. He turned to see that they had fallen over Nathan and Peter. "I'm sorry! Are you two okay?"**

**Peter rolled off his brother and onto his back, "Yeah, I think I--unh!" he winced in pain. "What the--?"**

"**Pete? You okay?" Nathan asked, leaning over toward his brother.**

"**Yeah, just got scratched by some glass on the floor I think?" He rolled back over to let Nathan and Mohinder have a look.**

**Nathan scowled in dismay. Mohinder started to say something, but Peter was suddenly hit with a convulsion.**

**Matt yelped from the sudden mental shout from Peter's pain, before he could ask, "What happened?"**

"**It appears that Peter rolled over onto some of the Formula syringes I had prepared," Mohinder said as he kneeled down to remove the two injectors from Peter's back.**

"**Wait, what does that mean?" Matt asked as Peter groaned.**

"**It means I have my power back, and all of yours as well," he answered, rubbing his head.**

"**How many doses are left, Mohinder?" Nathan asked.**

"**I'm not going to destroy them, Nathan," Suresh countered.**

**Matt jumped in. "Wait guys, this isn't the time or place. We need to just step back, collect ourselves and see what's been destroyed and what we can salvage here."**

"**So, you've changed your mind and want to use the formula, Parkman?" Nathan gruffly asked as he helped his brother to stand.**

"**No!" Matt said, a little too quickly. Mohinder frowned at him. "No, I mean, we have to stop and see how much formula we have left! We came here to get some so we could rescue Hiro from the past where Arthur Petrelli abandoned him without any powers," he explained to dumbfounded looks. "If we can get back there, somehow, we can save him, bring him back to the present, maybe give him his powers back." Matt realized the others were looking at him funny. "**_**Ask him **_**if he **_**wants**_** his powers back, I mean! Peter, did you really want your powers back, if you hadn't just rolled over and injected yourself?"**

**Peter shrugged, gave Nathan a dirty look. "There's a lot of good we can do, with or without powers."**

**Nathan eyed Matt. "We have a dozen Marines still waiting to be injected downstairs. How many doses did you prepare, Suresh?"**

**Matt glared at Nathan. "Now who's flip-flopping, Petrelli?"**

"**I only said that because dad asked him to prepare a dozen doses," he explained to Matt before turning back to Mohinder. "How many did you make?"**

"**Tracy already took the first four downstairs," he replied. "I made another five before I was interrupted. I was about to inject myself before the dose disappeared. I thought it was Peter, since he just barged in."**

"**Daphne," Matt sighed. "That's probably the dose she grabbed for Ando. I told them to wait for me before they used it."**

**Nathan glared at Matt. "So it's okay for you to decide who gets to use it?"**

**Matt scowled. "I said, we found out Hiro was stuck in the past, and getting a dose of the formula was our only shot at getting him back here!" he fumed. "Unless you know someone else who can time travel?" He looked to Peter, who shrugged.**

"**Not anymore, I copied that off Hiro, then dad stole my powers. They didn't come back after he died," he explained. "Unless Hiro makes a trip to the here and now before he lost his powers, I can't do it. Sorry, Matt."**

**Matt sighed and ran his hand through his hair.**

**Mohinder spoke up. "So if Daphne and Ando have the missing dose, where are they?"**

"**I told them to wait for me downstairs, and if anybody came after them, for her to get him out of here."**

"**Tracy," Nathan said.**

**Matt looked at him, nodded and followed the Petrelli brothers out to find the three in question.**

"**Hey!" Mohinder called after them, "You're not leaving me here alone with this psycho!"**

**Flint moaned. Mohinder smashed another beaker over his head then began searching the ruins of the lab for more doses of formula. **_**First things first, where's the fire extinguisher, just in case?**_

**-**

"**I spy with my little eye...something...black."**

**Daphne groaned and rolled her eyes. "The chair?"**

"**Nope!" he grinned. "Try again, Nemesis."**

"**I told you to stop calling me that!" she complained.**

"**Sorry. Daphne," he answered.**

**Daphne waved him off, before grousing, "Come on, Matt! What's taking you so long?"**

"**So I finally get to meet this mysterious Matt Parkman?"**

**Daphne and Ando jumped at the intrusion to stare at the blonde in the doorway.**

"**Niki?" Ando asked hopefully. Daphne looked at him in confusion.**

**Tracy sighed in disgust. "No, **_**not**_** Niki. My name is Tracy Strauss and I believe you have something of mine."**

**-**

**Matt and Peter led Nathan to an office near his own.**

**Matt slowed and peeked in. "Damn, Knox is gone."**

**Nathan looked over his shoulder. "At least Scott is still here, unlike dad's body," he grimaced.**

"**What?" Peter chirped up.**

"**You didn't move dad?" Peter shook his head. Nathan sighed. "I'll tell you later, Pete, right now, we need to find Ando and Daphne before Tracy and Knox do." He stormed down the hallway. "Any idea which office they're hiding in?"**

**Matt sent out a thought-pulse, then pointed down the hall ahead of them. "This way, and they've got company!"**

**-**

"**How about you hand over the vial, or I get Arthur to kill you, too?"**

**Petite Daphne stood defiant to the taller blonde. "I already know Arthur Petrelli is dead, you bitch."**

**Tracy scoffed. "Very well, then I'll have to kill you myself," she threatened as she raised her hand to freeze Daphne.**

"**Tracy!" Nathan shouted as he barged in, Peter following. "What are you doing?"**

**Tracy stopped and turned to look at her lover. "Just trying to get back what is rightfully ours, Senator."**

"**You don't need to do that, they'll willingly give us the formula they have, won't you, Ando?" he informed the Japanese man.**

"**I will?" he replied in confusion.**

**Tracy eyed Nathan for a second, eyes narrowed. "Something's not right, here," she said as she aimed her hand at Nathan, dropping the temperature of the room by the second. "I know you well enough that you don't ask, you take. Who are you?"**

**Nathan looked at her and smiled. "Busted." He then flicked his hands up and blue fire erupted from them. The illusion dropped.**

"**Peter!?" Tracy yelled as she started to freeze him, but he wasn't there any more. She spun to see Daphne and Ando suddenly disappear from where they had been sitting as well.**

"**Damn!" she shouted to the empty room. "I thought he lost his powers!" She started towards the door, but was blocked by Nathan once again.**

**He grabbed her wrists and shook his head. "By the way, Ms. Strauss, you're fired." He then shoved her back in the room and locked her in the room.**

**Tracy tried to freeze the door solid, but suddenly found herself powerless. She pounded on the thick door, but Nathan had already left. Frustrated, she dropped down to the couch Daphne had been sitting on and pouted.**

"**How long are you going to leave her like that?" Nathan asked Matt, grimacing.**

"**Just until we get things settled here, then we can figure out if we can contain her here or take her back to PrimaTech to hold her," Matt replied. "That dream-state should keep her a few hours, at least."**

"**I think we really don't have anything to worry about with her," Nathan added. "Tracy's power hungry, but she wasn't that fond of her power to begin with. She wants political power, not real power."**

"**Well, we'll figure it out after we find Knox and rescue Hiro, okay?" Matt offered.**

"**Maybe we can lock her up with Flint?" Peter suggested, half-joking. "Shouldn't their powers cancel each other out?"**

"**Either that, or make one hell of a thunderstorm," Daphne replied. The men looked at her. "What? I grew up on a farm, I know basic weather, warm front plus cold front equals big storm." She shrugged. "Just hope they don't make a tornado."**

**Matt chuckled and hugged his arm around her shoulders, before turning to Nathan. "What now? You've got soldiers waiting downstairs, and we still have to rescue Hiro from the past."**

"**I don't suppose the odds of one of them developing time travel abilities is good, is it?" he threw out to the rest.**

"**It all depends on genetics, I'm afraid," Mohinder answered. "If they were to develop powers, we wouldn't know what they were until after we inject them. Our best bet would be to find a close relative of Hiro and inject them, the closer the better."**

"**Does he have any relatives left?" Peter asked, noticing that Matt was looking at Ando.**

"**Well, we know his father is dead," Matt replied, still looking at Ando, who seemed to be struggling over what to do next.**

"**It was Adam who killed Kaito Nakamura?" Nathan asked, and Matt nodded.**

**Ando crossed his arms and sighed. "Kimiko, his sister."**

"**Let me guess," Nathan offered, "she's in Japan, isn't she?"**

**Ando nodded. "We cannot ask her, it is too much. She has her own life, she doesn't need to be involved in this."**

"**Then what do you suggest we do to return Hiro to the present?" Mohinder asked him.**

**Ando glanced at Matt, who shrugged back, indicating it was his decision. "I will take the Formula. I will save Hiro."**

"**Is that wise?" Nathan asked him.**

"**No wiser than taking a chance one of your soldiers will develop the required abilities, and we only have a handful of the Formula to spare. Best to take a chance on a willing known acquaintance than lose Hiro in the past if we don't get the right soldier."**

**Matt wasn't entirely convinced. "Are you sure you want to do this, Ando?"**

**He hesitated. "I must. Hiro would do it for me."**

"**Well, then," Mohinder spoke up, "let's get to the lab and see about what chance we have taken."**

**_________**


	2. Chapter 2

_**HEROES: Duel p2**_

_**Disclaimer: I own nuttink! **_

_**Notes: Having written the bulk of "Darkness" before s3 played out, I found the show went in a different direction than I thought it would. I eventually figured out where my story and the show canon really diverged. Here's what happened in my AU, and it's all Matt's fault, as usual. (sorry, Grunny!)**_

_**Matt's actions have already altered the known timeline. Pinehearst still stands. Tracy has been subdued for now, and there are soldiers waiting to be injected with what little remains of the Formula. Sylar has killed Arthur Petrelli and moved on to attack PrimaTech's Hartsdale, NY complex (as seen in ep 3.13). Meanwhile, Ando Masahashi has volunteered himself to take a dosage to try and rescue his friend, Hiro Nakamura, from the past where Arthur Petrelli has literally left Hiro powerless to return to his proper time.**_

"_**I don't suppose any of you want to put Flint, here, in a holding cell?" Mohinder asked as the group returned to the lab. "Or at least, just get him out of here?"**_

"_**There are cells here?" Matt asked, incredulously.**_

"_**Yeah," Peter bitterly replied. "Dad locked me up in one after he took my powers."**_

_**Mohinder glanced at Peter, scrutinizing him.**_

_**Matt noticed and asked, "Something wrong, Prof?" **_

"_**No, it's just that--" he began. "Peter, would you mind staying here? I'd like to run a test on you to see if the Formula has stabilized in your system before I give it to someone else."**_

"_**If you think that's best?" he asked.**_

"_**Sounds like a good idea to me, Suresh," Nathan replied. "Then let my brother, the nurse, check you out, as well. You definitely look better than you did earlier, but...better safe than sorry, right?"**_

"_**I understand, completely, Nathan," Mohinder concurred. "Peter, you were a nurse before, right? This shouldn't be too different, just pay attention to what I do, and I'll walk you through the rest. Then we'll see to Mr. Masahashi, here." He nodded to Ando, who nodded back.**_

_**Peter agreed and told Nathan and Matt where to take Flint, as Ando and Daphne hung about, busying themselves with straightening up the easier parts of the chaos created earlier as Mohinder went to change into some non-Formula drenched clothes before beginning his tests.**_

"_**I want to check on the soldiers while we're downstairs, Matt," Nathan said as they hauled the unconscious body of his daughter's maternal uncle between them down the hall.**_

"_**What are you going to tell them?" Matt inquired. "Are they getting injections, or...?"**_

_**Nathan thought about it for a minute. "Not right now. I'll ask for the ones they have back, tell them we need to run another test before they take the doses."**_

"_**And tell them what, bad result in testing? Possible contamination?" Matt offered.**_

_**Nathan nodded. "That sound like a good excuse, especially if anyone sees us carrying Flint down to his cell. We can say he and Knox may have tampered with the Formula and we want to be sure it's pure. That way, we can always say they tainted the only batch, which had a unique element that we can't replicate."**_

"_**Lie to them with the truth, you mean?" Matt asked, chuckling. "You really are a politician." Nathan had to laugh at that, too.**_

_**As expected, a number of soldiers were milling about in a warehouse area-cum-rec room which they had to pass to get to the holding cells. Several approached, wondering what was going on. Nathan gave them the cover story they had just come up with, then asked a couple to help Matt escort Flint to his cell. Two men and a woman volunteered, with the men taking the load off Matt and Nathan, and the woman leading the way to the cells.**_

_**Matt felt self-conscious as he followed this new trio carrying the pyro. To break the awkward silence, he realized none of them had on their uniform shirts, so he had no idea what to call them. "So, uh, what are your names?"**_

"_**I don't think we should be talking to you, sir," said the younger man. The other man shot him a dirty look.**_

_**Matt didn't have to be a telepath to feel the contempt in his words. "And why is that?"**_

"_**He thinks that because you appear to be a civilian, sir," the second man replied, earning an equal glare of contempt from the first man.**_

"_**Look, guys," Matt chuckled, "I think I know more about what's going on here than you do and--"**_

_**The first man stopped and turned to Matt. "With all due respect, sir**_**, we only take orders from our CO, Senator Petrelli or Ms. Strauss at the moment."**

**Matt chuckled again. "I don't think Nathan--Senator Petrelli would mind me asking your names, and Ms. Strauss is out of a job, right now."**

**Matt then noticed that the female recruit was rolling her eyes at the group. "When you boys are done showing your dicks, can we get this guy in his cell like Mr. Petrelli asked us?"**

**Matt smiled at her. "Lead the way, Miss--?"**

"**Mills," she replied curtly, turning on her heel and headed around down the next corner leading to the holding cells.**

"**Thank you, Miss Mills," Matt said. "I'm glad one of you hasn't lost your sense of civility."**

"**Speaking of civilians," the first man muttered under his breath.**

"**Shut up, Hanover," Mills shot back as she opened a door to the holding area. Matt stifled a chuckle as he followed them inside.**

**Being distracted by the attempted conversation with the soldiers, he almost missed the fact that Flint had drawn his legs up as the men attempted to put him in his cell. "He's awake!" Matt shouted as the men suddenly found themselves thrown off by their charge.**

**Hanover was thrown inside the cell, against the wall, as the other man, Sullivan, found himself being gut punched. Mills was behind the door and tried to slam it into Flint, but wound up hitting Sullivan's head, instead.**

**Matt barely had time to react as he saw Flint's hands alight with their blue flames. He dove for Mills and knocked her down, keeping her from being burned by the sadistic man's fire.**

"**What the hell is going on?" she protested.**

**Matt rolled off her and noticed that Sullivan had fallen free of the doorway, but Flint was still standing next to the door. **_**Idiot**_**, he thought as he kicked the door, knocking Flint back into the cell. He quickly stood and locked the door, only realizing his mistake as the blue light flickered across Hanover's body.**

"**You let me out of here, fat boy!" Flint yelled. "You let me out or I'll--" then he realized Matt wasn't looking at him, but behind him. He turned and saw the fallen soldier, who was in the corner, trying to back away from the man with the flaming hands. Flint smiled.**

"**Leave him alone, Flint!" Matt yelled.**

"**I got me a hostage, now!" Flint replied in his southern drawl. "You let me out of here, or I burn this boy into a crisp!"**

**Mills peered over Matt's shoulder, trying to see inside. "How-how is he doing that?" she asked.**

**Matt glanced to her, then back at Flint. "You're going to power down and let the soldier out of there, Flint," he ordered.**

"**I don't think so, fat boy!"**

**This pissed Matt off. **_**"Shut the hell up! Power down and go to sleep!" **_**He pushed this thought with all his might at the redneck.**

**Flint stared at Matt for a second, then his hands went dark. He turned and laid down on the bunk. Hanover, scared out of his wits, immediately made for the door and Matt opened it to let him out, then quickly slammed it shut, locking it.**

"**What the hell just happened here?!" Mills demanded.**

**Matt turned to her. "What did they tell you about the program you volunteered for?" he asked.**

"**Don't tell him, Rachel!" Hanover shouted.**

**Rachel Mills looked at Ryan Hanover incredulously, glanced at the cell door, then back to Matt. "An experimental booster drug that would make us better soldiers, to help the war on terror. Why?"**

**Matt frowned, glancing down the hallway they had come from. "Hide the truth in a lie," he muttered to himself. He started to answer Rachel's question, but then picked up her thoughts. He couldn't help it, as she was practically shouting inside her head as she glanced back at Flint.**

"_**No! It can't be! There are more of us out there? How many? And now they've found a way to give it to others? It'll be total chaos!"**_

**Matt studied her for a second, realizing she already knew about people like him, and what they could do. In fact, she sounded like she had secrets of her own. He glanced at the two men. Sullivan was just coming around.**

"**Hanover, help your friend, I need a word with Miss Mills in private for a second, okay?"**

**Hanover scowled at Matt, but did as he was told.**

**Matt pulled Rachel back into the hall outside. "Listen, I have a feeling you know what's really going on here, is that right?"**

**Rachel turned away from him. Matt took that as confirmation.**

"**Just between us," he began, "I didn't want any of this, but since I got pulled into this last year, I've done the best that I can with what I can do. Can you do the same?"**

**She turned back to face him, her lips parted for a brief second.**

**He could tell she wanted to say something. "What can you do, Rachel?" he asked quietly.**

**She hesitated, jaw working. Matt picked up a flash of a sad memory. A funeral? Does she have a dangerous ability, he wondered, before he realized it wasn't her fault the funeral happened, it was --**

"**Nothing. I can't do anything," she lied.**

**Matt held her gaze for a second, then she turned away.**

"**Have you noticed anyone else here being able to do, uh, 'nothing' as well?" he pressed her as calmly as he could.**

"**No. No one else," she said in quiet defiance.**

**Matt knew she wasn't being entirely honest, but didn't inquire further. She would open up when she was ready. "Alright then, we need to get your guys upstairs and see Nathan and the rest of your squad," he told her.**

**She seemed relieved, then they both turned back to see Hanover standing there with the still dazed Sullivan's arm around his shoulder. He was glaring at them both.**

"**Uh-oh," they said in unison.**

**-**

"**Knox! Get up."**

**The former gangbanger roused himself, rubbing his sore head and tasting the trickle of blood that had dripped from his nose. "Who? What happened?" he asked groggily, not seeing anyone.**

"**Shut up and do as I tell you," the voice said. "I need you to free Ms. Strauss down the hall and give her a message."**

"**How are you doing this?" Knox replied. "I saw your dead body, P--"**

"**Shut up and do as I say, Knox!"**

**The surly black man fumed as he pulled himself up from the floor and cautiously stepped out into the hall, wary of being spotted by the Petrelli brothers or his old acquaintance, Matt Parkman.**

**He found the boardroom that Tracy had been kept in easy enough, and a few quick light slaps woke her out of the trance she appeared to be in. She glanced around, trying to orient herself.**

"**I'm supposed to tell you that you have to get into the safe in Mr. Petrelli's office," he told her. "Can you do that?"**

**Tracy's momentary confusion upon waking gave way to a wicked smile as she understood what was being asked of her. "Time for Plan B, huh?" she asked as she got up from the couch. "Do me a favor and go get my car, I'll be down in a few." She tossed him her keys and strode out into the hall.**

**-**

**Matt strode up to Nathan and pulled him aside. "We have a small problem."**

**Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me Flint is loose?"**

**Matt shook his head. "No, we've got him in a cell, but Hanover isn't exactly happy to find out what's going on," he said, nodding toward the smaller of the two men who returned with him.**

**He glanced over at the group that had returned. One man had a small cut and bruise forming on his forehead. A couple of the men who had field medic training were tending to Sullivan. "What happened?"**

"**Flint was faking it and fought back when we tried to lock him up," Matt explained. "We got him in his cell without too much trouble, but Hanover was in there for a minute and almost got barbecued. I managed to make Flint go to sleep, but Hanover is seriously freaked."**

"**Great, what about the other two?"**

"**Sullivan took a few lumps and missed the show, but he'll be okay," Matt explained, then hesitated. "Rachel...?"**

"**What about her?" Nathan asked, giving the young private a once over.**

**Matt's voice dropped to a whisper. "I think she's already one of us, Nathan."**

**Nathan's smirk dropped completely and he stared at her.**

"**She wasn't entirely surprised with Flint's fire or me telling him to sleep, and I think she's dealt with abilities in the past, unfortunately."**

"**Private Mills, can I speak with you a moment?" Nathan asked, then turned back to Matt. "Unfortunately?"**

"**I'm not sure, but not happy thoughts when I asked her if she knew anything," Matt explained.**

**Rachel stepped at attention to the two men. "Yes sir, Senator? Can I help you with something?" She cast a wary glance at Matt.**

"**Relax, private," he said calmly. "Mr. Parkman tells me there was some trouble downstairs? Is everything alright?"**

**Matt nodded at her and she answered, "Yes, sir. The prisoner put up a brief struggle, but everything's fine now, sir."**

**Matt had crossed his arms, putting one hand over his chin, one finger was curled up over his lips, indicating to her he didn't say what they had talked about. He glanced to Hanover, who was glaring at the trio with a dark look.**

"**Can we trust your friend, Hanover, to keep his mouth shut?" Nathan asked her.**

**She hesitated. "I can't say, sir."**

**Nathan frowned. **_**How are we going to explain this to them? **_**He thought at Matt.**

_**I think I know**_**, Matt replied. "Rachel, were all of you given psych profiles before you came here?"**

"**I can't speak for the others, but I was given a basic screening, I think?"**

"**What do you think, Matt?" Nathan inquired. "Go over their files with each one before we decide to take the next step?"**

"**Better idea, for now," Matt said before turning back to Rachel. "Rachel, this experimental drug, you mentioned? Did they bring any samples down here?"**

"**I'm not sure," she replied. "I know they took Sergeant Scott upstairs earlier for the first test, but I haven't seen him since." She glanced at Nathan, who seemed to wince at the mention of the man's name. She briefly wondered what had happened. Nothing good, judging by his reaction.**

"**Nobody brought any samples down here, then?" Matt pressed.**

"**Not that I know of," she replied. Matt grimaced, clearly unhappy, and started to turn to Nathan. "I could ask Sgt. Davis?" She turned back to the group of soldiers milling around, some had been watching the proceedings with mild interest. "Hey, Don! Come here a minute!" she called to one of the stockier men.**

**Sgt. Jon Davis strode to the trio with a slightly curious look on his face. "Can I help you with something, Senator?" he asked, glancing from Rachel to Nathan to Matt, who was also sizing up Davis out of reflex, as the man was probably as strong as he was, plus he had more combat training than Matt's police training.**

"**Yes, Sergeant," Nathan replied. "I understood that there was a handful of vials brought down here earlier, is that correct?"**

"**Yes sir, if that is what was in the case Ms. Strauss brought them down earlier," he replied. "I'm not sure where she put them, though."**

**A sideways glance between Nathan and Matt was all it took for the telepath to do a quick scan. He shook his head.**

**Before Nathan could inquire further, Hanover jumped in.**

"**What the hell's goin' on here, Senator?" he yelled. "We were told we were going to be given some drug to make us 'super-soldiers' or something, but you keep us locked up down here, bring in civilians, have us lock up a guy who can throw fire and --"**

"**Stand down, Hanover!" Davis yelled. "That is an order!"**

**Hanover started to protest, but Davis snorted and the kid backed off.**

"**I'm sorry about that, Senator," he apologized. "The recruits are getting a little antsy from all this waiting and--"**

"**--and the damage is already done," Matt finished, looking around the room. Bored faces were now anxious with curiosity at Hanover's outburst. **

**Nathan followed Matt's gaze and didn't have to be telepathic to feel the sudden change in demeanor among the assembled soldiers.**

**Hanover realized this, too, and decided to take the opportunity to rile his compatriots up. "That's right!" he yelled to his fellow recruits. "That guy we took down to the brig? Yeah, there are holding cells down here! That guy we locked up can throw fire! He almost killed me," he exclaimed, then pointed at Matt. "And this guy, he shrugs it off and puts him to sleep with a few words!"**

**The soldiers were taking this in and throwing worried glances at each other. Ryan was loving it, being the center of attention.**

"**Hanover! Stand down!" Davis yelled again. "This is insubordination!"**

**Ryan ignored his commanding officer and continued. "Now they want to pump some unknown drugs into us!" he yelled and turned to Nathan. "What happened to Scott? You took him up hours ago and we haven't heard anything from him since!"**

**Nathan held up his hands in defense. "I can explain--" he began, but was shouted down by a growing number of soldiers asking what was going on.**

"**Stand down!" Davis yelled. "All of you! That's an order!" The soldiers, however, were letting their fears run rampant and ignored their CO, who continued to shout them down. **

**Nathan turned to Matt. "Can't you do something? Calm them down, somehow?" he asked as quietly as he could.**

**Matt was already concentrating. "I'm trying, but it doesn't seem to be working! I never tried to push a group this large before, much less this strong-willed!" He could already taste a hint of copper from the blood beginning to trickle out his nose.**

"**Keep trying!" Nathan whispered as he pulled his friend back toward the exit.**

"**Both of you, get out of here!" Rachel pleaded, pushing them both toward the door. "We'll let you know when things calm down!"**

**Matt kept pushing, trying to exert a calming influence over the agitated men, but to no avail. He thought he bumped into something as he stepped backward, but a quick glance revealed nothing, or no one, there. As the pair backed down the hall, the group seemed to quiet down and all they could hear was Davis shouting orders.**

"**This is not good, Parkman," Nathan said.**

"**You're telling me," Matt scoffed as he dabbed the blood from his upper lip. He looked back to the doors they had just come from and saw Mills and Davis were pressed against the doors, unable to get free. "If we don't do something now, those two will be crushed."**

"**I'm open to suggestions, Parkman," Nathan replied.**

"**We open the doors, pull our two friendly soldiers out and try to keep the rest in," Matt suggested. "Sound good to you?"**

**Nathan nodded and the two approached the doors. Acting quickly, Matt sent a mental whisper to the pair to 'act fast' as he and Nathan pulled the doors open slightly and pulled them free, slamming the doors closed on the angered members of the squad.**

"**Thanks, guys," Davis gasped as he picked himself up after tripping over Rachel when they tumbled out. "It's almost like they were possessed or something?"**

**Matt glanced to Rachel, who had a sudden look of horror on her face, then Nathan, who returned his questioning gaze.**

"**Sergeant," Nathan began, "Are you sure Ms. Straus didn't inject anyone with that serum? Did she pull anyone aside, even for a few moments that you noticed?"**

"**Not that I saw, Senator," he replied, still shaken.**

"**We need to get upstairs and find the rest of that Formula," Matt said as he headed down the hall. "We can ask Tracy where she put the damn stuff!"**

**Nathan took one last look back at the angry crowd through the doors, then followed his friend. Rachel did the same as Davis brought up the rear.**

**-**

"**Waiting for these test results is so **_**BORING!"**_** Daphne moaned again. Ando nodded in agreement.**

"**Why don't you do a little recon and stretch your legs, then?" Peter suggested, even though he was just as bored watching Mohinder stare at his blood and computer screens.**

"**Are you sure?" she asked.**

"**Yeah, Nathan and Matt should be back any time," he replied. "You could look for them while you're gone."**

"**Then who's going to protect us?" Ando asked.**

"**Perfect excuse to recon, then, huh?" she smiled and immediately disappeared in a gust of wind.**

**Peter chuckled at Ando, who sat there, frowning.**

**Daphne figured the best place to start was checking on Tracy, to see if she was still where they had left her. She found an empty office room.**

"**Uh-oh," she said and immediately began searching the other offices in that hallway, making her way back to Arthur's personal office. What she saw made her pause long enough to be spotted by the room's lone occupant.**

**Tracy Strauss was again reaching into the safe she had frozen and shattered open when she felt a gust of wind at her back. She turned and smiled. "Miss Millbrook," she greeted the young speedster. "I would have thought you had left by now? Run off to steal another fortune, elsewhere?"**

**Daphne noticed the dead soldier and blood-stained carpet. **_**What happened here? **_**she thought as she put on her best brave face. "Yeah, well, I heard old man Petrelli had some expensive tastes. Thought I could pawn something and get some spending cash," she lied. She started mentally screaming for Matt, hoping he could find them as fast as he could.**

**Tracy chuckled. "I don't think so, small fry."**

**Daphne gulped and started to back out of the room, but found herself suddenly slipping and landed on the now- frozen carpet.**

"**I'm learning to enjoy my power," Tracy said, slowly walking toward the younger blonde, extending her hand. "I'm realizing all the potential in it, and what I can do with it," she smiled, sending chills down Daphne's spine as she struggled to get up.**

"**Don't touch her, you frigid bitch!"**

**Tracy froze inches from touching Daphne and looked up into the doorway. Matt and Nathan were standing there looking seriously pissed off. **

**Daphne chanced turning to see who it was and smiled when she saw Matt. "My hero," she whispered, smiling.**

"**Let me leave peacefully or she gets iced," Tracy threatened the two men.**

"**Already cracking the ice jokes?" Matt asked, nonplussed.**

**Tracy twisted her lip in disgust at his pun.**

**Daphne rolled her eyes. **_**My hero**_**, she thought at him sarcastically.**

"**Back off, Tracy," Nathan warned her.**

"**Or what? Gonna have your fat friend here give me another nap? I don't think so," she replied.**

**Matt frowned. He had enough 'fat cop' jokes to last him a lifetime, but threatening his future wife? (**_**keep them fingers crossed, Parkman**_**!) Not gonna happen. He reached out, mentally.**

**Tracy suddenly stumbled back, losing her balance as she fell.**

"**Where's the Formula, Tracy?" Matt demanded.**

**Tracy answered as if she was in a haze. "Took it. Injected Scott. Arthur has rest." Then she dropped unconscious.**

**Nathan stepped over to her as Matt helped Daphne to her feet.**

"**So we don't know where the Formula went, is that it?" Nathan asked Matt over his shoulder as he checked out Tracy was okay.**

"**Shouldn't be too hard to find it," Matt replied as Daphne hugged him. "You're the boss now, if your dad is dead, right?"**

"**Arthur's dead?" Daphne piped up.**

**Nathan stood, glanced at her, then at the red stain on the carpet. "Yeah," he said, somberly. He looked at Scott's body. "We need to lock this place down, take care of Scott, then see about finding those vials."**

"**I don't suppose this place has a morgue, too?" Matt asked.**

**Nathan thought for a second. "We had one test subject that died. Mohinder would know what to do with the body for now."**

**Matt was aghast as Nathan brushed past him out the door. "Wait, you're serious?"**

**The couple followed Nathan back to Suresh's lab, where Mills and Davis had already arrived to wait for them. Nathan waved them down as the pair snapped to attention. He apologized to them, explaining what had happened to their comrade, then asked Mohinder about storing the body, asking Davis and Matt to retrieve it.**

**By the time Matt returned to the office, Tracy was already gone. Matt telepathically alerted Nathan then he, Davis, Peter, and Daphne did a quick sweep of the building, but found no sign of her.**

**When they had finally gotten Scott's body to the lab freezer, Nathan offered his condolences to Davis.**

"**That's okay, Senator," he replied. "I barely knew the guy, but he was a bit of an asshole." Nathan raised his eyebrow at this. "Too eager to fight, like he had something to prove," he explained. "Dangerous attitude in a combat situation for a kid like him."**

"**I talked to him briefly, earlier," Nathan said. "He said his unit was killed, wished he had been stronger, faster. He could have saved them."**

**Davis nodded. "There's a lot of guys who served that feel that way. Survivor's guilt."**

**Nathan nodded. "I know. I was a Navy pilot, Afghanistan."**

**Peter walked up to the men, interrupting them. "Mohinder's ready if you are."**

**Nathan looked at his brother. "Are you sure you want to do this?"**

"**We have to save Hiro Nakamura, don't we?"**

**Nathan sighed and nodded. "As long as he doesn't call me 'Flying Man' again," he joked.**

**The brothers turned to leave, as Davis shrugged off the comment as being an inside joke between them and this Nakamura who they had to rescue.**

**Mohinder was preparing the vials for injection, when he realized the two soldiers were still present. He turned to Nathan. "Are you sure you want them to see this?" he asked quietly.**

"**Matt says she might be one of us, and Davis needs to know what we're doing at some point," he assured the geneticist.**

"**Well then," Suresh acknowledged, turning to Ando. "Are you ready to try and save your friend?"**

**Ando nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be." He rolled up his sleeve as the two soldiers looked on with interest.**

**Mohinder injected the Formula into Ando's arm and they waited. Nathan and Mohinder were expecting him to seize up like Scott and Peter had, but nothing happened after a few tense seconds.**

"**How do you feel?" Suresh asked.**

**Ando flexed his arms, feeling a tingling sensation race through them. "Fine. In fact I--" He promptly collapsed. **

**Peter was standing beside him, so neither soldier realized he had moved faster than he should have to catch the man.**

"**Lower him slowly," Mohinder cautioned as Peter let the man sink to the floor.**

**Ando woke with a start as water was splashed on his face. He sat up to see Peter on one side with a glass beaker and Mohinder checking his pulse on the other.**

"**Did it work?" he asked.**

"**How do you feel, now?" Mohinder asked again.**

**Ando flexed his arms again. "I feel...good. Did it work?"**

"**Well, we know you can faint," Daphne chimed in. Matt stifled a snort as Nathan rolled his eyes. Rachel and Davis looked on in confusion from a distance.**

**Matt gave Mills a quick glance, picking up her stray thought. **_**Is that what happened to me? Did mom...?**_

**Peter and Mohinder helped Ando to his feet. "Do you think you can travel, now?" Peter asked.**

"**I don't know, let me try," he said and shut his eyes in concentration.**

"**Doesn't he squint more when he does that?" Daphne offered.**

"**You are right, Nemesis," Ando replied and tried squeezing his eyes.**

"**Too hard, just squint lightly," she offered again.**

**Matt and Ando gave her curious looks before Ando tried again, concentrating.**

"**Nothing," he said, giving up. He slapped the counter.**

**Red sparks erupted from his hand. The group stared in amazement.**

"**What the hell?" Davis said in confusion. Rachel looked on in astonishment.**

**Ando repeated hitting the counter. More sparks.**

"**What is that, electricity?" Matt asked, laying a hand on Ando's shoulder for a better look. He suddenly shouted in pain, dropping to his knees and clutching his head. Peter did likewise.**

**Nathan went to his brother as Mohinder went to check Matt.**

"**What did you do to him?" Daphne demanded, punching him in the arm. She disappeared in a flash of red sparks.**

"**What the **_**HELL**_** is going on, here?" Davis demanded.**

**Mohinder helped Matt up onto one stool as Nathan did the same with Peter. **

"**It felt like my mind exploded, I could hear everyone's thoughts, all at once," Matt explained, rubbing his head.**

"**I think I caught some of your backlash, Matt," Peter agreed as he rubbed his own head.**

"**So where did blondie go?" Rachel asked.**

"**Over here," Daphne replied, walking back into the room. "I hit him, then found myself out in the hall, somehow?"**

"**Teleported?" Nathan asked. Rachel gasped at the mention. Matt cast a curious look at her, but didn't say anything.**

"**No, I could hear myself shout from in here," Daphne countered. "It was like I was...I dunno, thrown back in time a few seconds?"**

"**What?" Nathan asked.**

"**I heard myself shout at Ando again, when I found myself out in the hall."**

**The men looked at each other.**

"**Time travel."**

**They looked at Matt. He shrugged.**

"**He sped up Daphne so she traveled back in time a few seconds," he explained. "Think about it, I touched him, my mind goes kablooey. She touches him, she travels back in time a few seconds."**

"**Oh my god," Mohinder said, staring at Matt. "He's right." **

"**When did you get so Einstein, Einstein?" Daphne teased. **

"**Science class," Matt shrugged again. "I paid attention in school. Mostly."**

"**Einstein's theory proven fact!" Mohinder exclaimed. "We can go back and save Hiro, now!"**

"**We can?!" Ando asked.**

"**Yes," Suresh continued. "If you can accelerate Daphne, here, back to the proper time, you can save your friend and hopefully return to the proper time." He went on to explain the basic idea to the pair as the others looked on. When he was sure they understood, he asked if they were ready.**

**Ando nodded. "Hiro would do it for me!" he exclaimed, remembering the bleak future the pair had once visited in which he had died in the Kirby Plaza explosion.**

**Matt pulled Daphne aside for a moment. "Are you sure you can do this?" he asked.**

**She smiled at him. "Don't worry so much, we'll be back before you know it." She gave him a quick kiss.**

**He smiled and nodded. "Fine. Go. Be the good guy--girl. Whatever." **_**Just come back to me**_**, he added to her alone.**

**She stepped to Ando. "Ready, Nemesis?"**

"**Will you please stop calling me that? I have a name!"**

**Ando winced. "Sorry...Daphne."**

"**Much better!" She grabbed his hand and they disappeared in a shower of red sparks. Matt started toward them, but they were already gone.**

**Sgt. Davis just sat in the corner and took all this in, still not believing what he was seeing.**

**Rachel shied away, but caught Matt's eye. He could tell she didn't like what was happening, but still couldn't bring herself to tell him what she was hiding.**

**-**

**All Ando could see was blurs of light and a fury of red sparks. He had to trust to Daphne that she could see where (when?) they were and when to stop.**

**He felt what he thought was her stumble, and suddenly Hiro was with them. He looked surprised, then smiled at his friend, who was confused about what had just happened.**

**Everything went dark.**

**It took them a moment to adjust to the fact they were no longer moving, much less they were outside at night.**

**Ando looked around. He could tell they were in a parking lot, but not much else. "Where?"**

"**Pinehearst," she gasped, pointing to the sign. "I think we're back when and where we belong," she said.**

"**What did you do?" Hiro yelled. "I had it! I could have destroyed the Formula for good!"**

"**I don't think so, Pikachu."**

**The trio turned to see Tracy striding up to them, two torn papers in one hand.**

"**The Formula!" Hiro exclaimed.**

"**And it's all mine," she said and raised her hand toward him.**

**Then she had a stunned look on her face and fell down, empty handed.**

"**No one calls him Pikachu except me!" Daphne announced, handing the papers to Hiro.**

"**Thank you, Nemesis!" Hiro said as he began to rip the papers to bits.**

"**Her name is Daphne," Ando announced to his friend, smiling at her.**

"**Get out of my way!" Tracy yelled, trying to grab some of the shredded paper as a red sports car came screeching up, Knox at the wheel.**

**Daphne grabbed the two men and pulled them out of the way, her wake scattering the remaining shreds. Tracy grasped at them again, but realized it was a futile effort and threw her hands up in defeat.**

"**Yo! We getting out of here or what?" Knox called to her.**

**She threw a scowl at the trio, then hopped in her car and Knox raced off into the night.**

"**Looks like mission accomplished, boys!" Daphne said as she strode back into the building, the two friends following.**

**As he drove away, Knox asked, "Did you get what you were supposed to get?"**

**Tracy pulled another folded paper from her cleavage. "Do you think I'm stupid? I made copies!"**

"**Did you get any of that Formula, just in case?" he asked.**

**She reached in her blouse again, pulling out a vial and small jump drive. He raised an eyebrow. "The other spot was full," she teased.**

**He smiled and floored it down the interstate.**

**-**

"**So the big question is, how long do we wait until we know if they succeeded?" Peter asked.**

"**They just left!" Matt exclaimed. "This isn't an exact science, she might have overshot the return trip!"**

"**Or overshot their destination, and are now lost in time, too," Nathan countered.**

**Matt glared at him. He pointed his finger. "Don't. Start."**

"**Don't start what?" Daphne asked, waltzing back into the room. "Celebrating?"**

**The group turned to see she was being followed by both Japanese men.**

"**Hiro! You made it!" Peter exclaimed.**

"**Welcome back, Mr. Nakamura!" Nathan smiled, offering his hand as Matt hugged Daphne. **

**She kissed him. "Miss me?"**

"**It seemed like forever," he replied, kissing her back.**

"**How long were we gone?" she asked.**

"**Barely a minute, by my clock," Mohinder offered. The couple turned to him and rolled their eyes.**

**Ando spoke up. "We saw Tracy Strauss leaving with a black man," he said. **

"**She tried to take the Formula, but we took it back and I ripped it up! It is gone forever!" Hiro proclaimed, puffing out his chest.**

"**Whattya mean **_**we**_**, Hiro?" Daphne asked, teasing him. She turned to Nathan, "Yeah, Tracy took off with Knox, I think. I didn't get a good look at her driver," she explained. "I thought it best to get the boys back inside and check with you before anything else happened."**

"**Just what, exactly, did happen?" Sgt. Davis spoke up.**

**Hiro jumped in surprise, not having noticed the man before.**

**Matt and Nathan shared a look. "That's a long story, Sergeant, and the reason you were recruited here."**

"**Care to explain, Senator?"**

**Nathan sighed. "Well, let's find a conference room and go sit down, it's a long story."**

**T~b~c~****___________**

**Next: confessions and contemplations....**


	3. Chapter 3

**HEROES: Duality p3 - The New Deal**

**Disclaimer: I own nuttink! **

**Notes: Having written the bulk of "Darkness" before s3 played out, I found the show went in a different direction than I thought it would. I eventually figured out where my story and the show canon really diverged. Here's what happened in my AU, and it's all Matt's fault, as usual. (sorry, Grunny!)**

**Pinehearst still stands. Tracy has escaped with Knox, and there are soldiers waiting to be injected with what little remains of the Formula. Sylar has killed Arthur Petrelli and moved on to attack PrimaTech's Hartsdale, NY complex (as seen in ep 3.13). Meanwhile, Nathan has to explain what is really going on to the commander of the military squad his father hired...among other people.**

**_**

**PrimaTech, Hartsdale, NY**

"Get her out of here!" Claire yelled at her adoptive father as she ran out the door to try and save her mother.

Noah Bennet looked from the still body on the floor to the regal woman sitting in her chair as if she had never been threatened with death, only moments before.

"Go after her, Noah," she said simply. He nodded and chased after the young blonde.

She turned her attention to the body at her feet and sighed. She rose from her chair and turned to the computer at her desk, made a few keystrokes, double-checked the information was being sent and turned back to the body.

She kneeled down beside him, grasping the thick shard of plexiglass firmly. She gave a firm pull, but it wouldn't budge. She sighed again before taking a better grip.

The shard pulled free on the second try with a wet sound she had heard too many times in her life. She waited a moment, then saw the wound begin to knit itself back together.

She gave a small smile and leaned down to whisper in his ear. "You owe me, Gabriel. Make the most of the life I gave you."

She stood, glanced around the room one last time with a longing sigh, dropped the bloody shard on the floor by his head and strode from the room with a quick, but unhurried pace.

She made her way to a clearing that afforded her a good view of the building as it burned. She was shortly joined by her granddaughter and her best agent. The trio stood watching the flames for some time until they heard the sirens of the local fire department arriving.

Angela and Noah shared a glance, knowing which cover story they would give as the trucks arrived to douse the blaze before it could spread into the nearby forest.

She pulled out her cell phone. "How are things on your end?" she asked. "We need a ride. Do you think you can pick us up?" she replied. "Just Claire, Noah, and myself. Thank you, dear."

Noah chuckled silently at how sweet she sounded. He knew better.

-

**Pinehearst, Fort Lee, NJ**

Sgt. Jon Davis sat there, incredulous. He couldn't believe what he had just been told by newly appointed Senator Nathan Petrelli, but Pvt. Rachel Mills confirmed at least part of the story, about the man downstairs that could conjure blue fire from his hands. She would neither confirm nor deny anything else.

Before he could inquire further, Petrelli's phone rang. He grimaced as he checked the number, then flipped it open.

"Hi, Ma," he answered. "We're managing, but busy, why?"

Peter and Matt shared a look and chuckled.

"I can send a car. Who's with you?" he continued, waving the other two to be quiet. "Sure, Ma, no problem." He shut his phone and tossed it to Peter. "Go call home, tell the driver to go pick up Ma at Hartsdale, would ya, Pete?"

Peter caught the phone, gave his brother an annoyed look and went out into the hallway to make the call.

Nathan turned back to Davis, who sat there, dumbfounded. "So, you're saying you have this Formula that can give people super-powers, like out of comic books?" he asked.

Nathan and Matt shared a look, then nodded. "Pretty much, yeah. There are people who were born with them, and a handful who have received injections to activate the potential abilities we all were born with."

"You really are serious?" he asked again.

Nathan nodded. "Yes, but, and this is the important part, whoever came up with this Formula, it can only be used properly with the Catalytic Agent, which is now lost to us."

"No more Secret Ingredient, no more super-power formula, is that it?"

Nathan smiled. "Exactly. Unfortunately, we don't know how many have already been injected over the years. My father just recovered the Catalyst after 16 years, but we've now lost it forever."

"Do I want to know?" he asked. Nathan shook his head. Davis continued, "But there are people who were born with powers, like in the comics?"

Matt spoke up this time. "Yeah, just like in X-Men, but I don't know if you'd call us mutants or whatever--"

Davis cut him off. "'Us?' Did you just say 'us'?"

Matt glanced at Nathan and grimaced. "Uh, yeah. Mine developed last year. I never had any hint of it before, and my dad was never around to warn me."

"So you inherited your powers from your father?"

Matt nodded sheepishly. "What you saw in the lab, earlier, when I touched Ando, I lost control of my power for a second--"

Davis picked up on this. He pointed at Nathan. "Then your brother grabbed his head, too! You both were born with powers?"

Nathan balked at this. "Uh, not quite." He glanced at Matt. "My brother was born with the ability to mimic other abilities, but lost them recently."

"Then what happened earlier?"

"When we were trying to subdue Flint, Peter accidentally rolled over onto some vials of the Formula, reactivating his powers, it seems."

"And what about you, Senator? What can you do?"

"I wasn't born with any kind of ability, Sergeant," Nathan said firmly.

Davis held his gaze for a second, but decided not to pursue this line of inquiry. Petrelli was being more than forthcoming, but he was also holding back. Jon didn't blame him for that. "So what do we do, now?" he asked.

"Well, we only have a handful of Formula samples left, now," he explained.

Matt stepped in. "More importantly, we had the idea to reach out to those born with natural abilities," he said, "to see if we can help them with the more volatile powers."

"Like this Flint, downstairs, with the fire hands?" Rachel piped up.

"Exactly," Matt answered her. "There are others out there with more dangerous abilities, people who need training."

"Like the X-Men?" Davis said, smirking.

"Hey, if the shoe fits," Matt laughed. "Seriously, though, some people will need help adjusting, controlling their powers, and we can't just lock them up if they haven't done anything wrong." He gave a sideways glance to Nathan, who blatantly ignored his friend.

"But what if they have, like that guy downstairs?"

"I used to be a cop, you two are soldiers, we were trained to handle weapons. Some people who develop abilities may not know what to do, we can train them, help them learn control," Matt explained. "For those that want to cause mayhem and destruction like Flint, we _will_ have to restrain them."

"That's what our parents were already doing," Nathan explained, "but with everybody, not just the bad guys."

"Wait, that's why we're here, isn't it?" Rachel asked. "We were supposed to be some super-police or something?"

Nathan and Matt shared another look. Nathan nodded grimly. "That's what my father had planned for you, yes."

"So when you asked about our psych profiles?"

"Yes, Miss Mills," Matt replied. "When I saw how Hanover was freaking out earlier with Flint and then tried to start a riot, I thought it best to go over them once again, make sure we had people who weren't going to freak out like he did."

"My father was a bit of a control freak," Nathan explained, "and knew he would be causing as much chaos as he would be order with your squad rounding up innocent people and jailing them just for being born different."

"And that's the last thing we want to happen," Matt spoke up. "We can't jail people for being different. They already tried that in the Forties, the Red Scare in the Fifties, Guantanamo Bay today. Hell, how long have the blacks and gays, among others, been persecuted just for how they were born? We can't let that happen again."

"Wait, so how would he keep us in line, if we decided to turn against him?" Davis countered.

Nathan hesitated, but proceeded to explain. "My father had the ability to steal other abilities, it seems. I would hazard to guess, anyone who he thought he couldn't control would probably be stripped of their abilities."

"Hail Caesar, eh?" Davis asked.

Nathan clenched his jaw and looked at Davis. "I think my father thought even Caesar beneath him," he said in disgust.

"So what's the plan, now, Senator?" Rachel asked, quickly trying to change the subject.

"Now? Now we go over the psych profiles and weed out any possible problems may father may have overlooked," Nathan replied. "Then I'll go talk to the President and try to get some government backing to help anyone who needs it."

"But not against their will, right?" Matt asked.

"Only if they prove too dangerous to leave alone, Matt," Nathan said. "People like Flint and Sylar, we'll have no choice but to take into custody."

"What about decent people who have abilities they can't control?" Matt pressed. "Another Ted Sprague? What happens then?"

Nathan and Davis both raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Ted...Sprague, remember?" Matt said out loud, but mentally filled Nathan in on his late nuclear powered friend.

"Ah, yes, Ted," Nathan said, somewhat in surprise as he took a moment to process his mental briefing. "We'll have to take those on a case by case basis, I'm afraid."

Davis glanced at Mills, then to the two men sitting opposite him. "I'm sorry, who is Ted Sprague? What was his problem?"

Matt hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. He glanced at Nathan, who nodded. "Ted," he began, "had a very volatile power like Flint, that he, uh, well," Matt hesitated, unsure how to proceed. "Ted's ability accidentally killed his wife, and nearly killed several others, myself included. This Sylar we mentioned? He also has the ability to steal powers, and he took Ted's power, almost destroying New York City a few months back--"

"I remember hearing about some sort of unexplained explosion over New York, right after the elections," Davis interrupted. "Most thought it was a meteorite or something, but you're saying...?"

A glance between Matt and Nathan confirmed the story for Davis and Mills. She gasped in shock.

Matt nodded. "Yeah, we were responsible for that." He grimaced before continuing. "Actually, I was laid out, having been shot by Sylar, so I really don't know the exact details--"

"Sylar shot you?" Rachel exclaimed.

Matt blushed. "I, uh, I actually tried to shoot Sylar, take him out before he could do anything, but he caught the bullets in mid-air, sent them flying back to me. Luckily for me, he didn't have the ability to send them back with the same speed." He grimaced and unconsciously reached for his ribs where the scars still showed.

"I think I've heard enough, Senator," Davis said. "I suggest you talk to whoever you need to talk to on Capitol Hill, I'll issue a gag order to the troops downstairs. I probably need to court martial a few in particular while I'm at it." He saluted Nathan and left the room. Rachel rose with him, but stayed behind.

Mohinder finally spoke up. "From what you've told me of that night, Matthew, he probably heard you sneak up on him using the, um, 'super-hearing' ability he took from Dale Smither, then used his telekinesis to catch and return the bullets to you."

Matt gave Mohinder a dirty look. "Thanks, Prof, I really needed to hear that." Mohinder looked flustered, so Matt gave him a wink to know he was pulling the man's leg.

Rachel spoke up. "What were you saying, about your friend Ted?"

Matt explained, "The first time I met Ted, we arrested him, thinking he was Sylar. It was only later that we realized what was really going on, and he was innocent of the serial killings, but not--" Matt caught himself, realizing he could ruin everything if he gave them the whole truth of what had happened to him and Ted. "Uh, he was only really guilty of accidentally giving his wife cancer, killing her. Too bad Sylar got to him and killed Ted for his power. That was right before New York almost became a crater."

She locked eyes on Matt. "I'm sorry, did you just say he gave his wife cancer? You mean he was--?"

Matt swallowed hard. He saw Nathan turn to him. "I won't lie to you. Yes, Ted killed his wife by giving her cancer. He, uh, he was a walking nuclear reactor, it seems."

"That's how powerful you people are?"

"NO!" Matt and Nathan shouted as one, both knowing what that implied.

"No we're not, Rachel" Matt explained. "Ted was a rare case, but he could control his ability as he got used to it. I spent several days with him and I'm fine!" he protested. "He said he went out to the desert, practiced getting control of his power so he wouldn't hurt anyone else. He was a decent guy who didn't want this power, much less the grief it caused him."

"I...see," she said. "Thank you, Mr. Parkman. I guess I'll see you around?" Matt nodded and she left the room. He stared after her.

"Something troubling you, Matthew?" Mohinder asked.

Matt glanced to his friend. "No. No, I hope not," he said. "Nathan, how soon do you think we could talk to someone about this?"

Nathan mused a moment. "Hard to say, it could be days, weeks, even months, depending on schedules. I'll keep everyone informed and we'll work out a game plan in the interim. That okay with the two of you?"

Both men nodded.

-

Mohinder returned to his lab with Matt to find Daphne, Hiro and Ando waiting as patiently as they could.

"Matt!" Daphne shouted and ran to hug him.

Mohinder approached Hiro. "Well, Mr. Nakamura, are you sure you want to try taking the Formula?"

Hiro glanced at Ando before answering. "A true warrior shows bravery in the face of adversity," he proclaimed.

"I sense a 'but' coming," Matt said.

Hiro glanced to Matt and nodded. "I have done much good with my power, but I have also seen the chaos that has resulted in abusing power. With Great Power must come Great Responsibility." He proclaimed and then hesitated. "I do not think I am that responsible with my powers. I could not save Charlie, I almost destroyed the time continuum on several occasions. I do not deserve to have my powers restored."

"Hiro, what?" Ando asked in their native tongue. "I thought it was your dream to be Super-Hiro?"

"No, Ando-kun," Hiro lamented. "I have not proven myself worthy of the powers I was given. I do not deserve them." He turned to Mohinder, "I will not be taking the Formula. I do not need my powers to be a Hero."

Mohinder gave him a sad smile. "It's up to you, if that is what you think is best?"

Hiro frowned. "Yes, I think it is for the best."

"Well, keep in touch," Matt said, shaking his hand. "I think Nathan has an idea you may want to help out with."

"I will, Matt Parkman," he nodded and gave a slight bow.

Daphne stepped up to him. "For what it's worth, you were a good nemesis." She kissed him on the cheek.

Hiro blushed. "Thank you, Nem-" he caught himself. "Thank you, Daphne. May you find your happiness in life." He bid the others goodbye and left the room.

They looked at Ando.

"I don't know where he's going, but I guess I better look after him? I'll keep in touch, everyone!" he said as he followed his friend.

Matt looked at Mohinder as Daphne settled back into his arms. "What now, Prof?"

Mohinder held up the vial, looking at the red liquid in the light. "I set aside a dose just in case he changes his mind, that's what, Matthew." He smiled and placed the cartridge in a foam-padded lockbox.

"Anything else we need to discuss tonight, Mohinder?" Matt asked tiredly, suddenly finding himself stifling a yawn.

"No, not that I can think of offhand." he said. _Except Molly,_ he thought.

"_WHERE_ did you send Molly?!?" Matt suddenly shouted, catching the errant thought.

"Oh. yes. Molly," Mohinder blushed. "I sent her to my mother, didn't you get my message?"

"Wait, who's Molly?" Daphne asked, suddenly finding herself holding Matt back from attacking his friend and co-guardian of the girl in question.

-

**Washington, DC - 3 weeks later**

"But there are people that could rival this Ted Sprague in power, like this 'Sylar'?" the man with the deep voice asked as the men before him briefed him on the events leading up to that fateful night at Pinehearst.

Nathan and Matt looked to each other, then at Mohinder. "Prof, you dealt with him more than we have," Matt pointed out.

"Sylar no longer has that ability, it seems," Mohinder explained. "He contracted a virus that seems to neutralize abilities, and apparently lost all the abilities that he had obtained prior to that time."

"And you know this how, Professor?"

"Doctor. Doctor Suresh," he corrected, glancing at Matt, who only smirked I return. "It seems that there was someone who could create viruses some thirty years back. One of those viruses harnessed was one that affected the evolved abilities and neutralized them. We have only recently learned of this, so I don't know if it affects natural and the handful of Formula-given abilities, but in the end it does not matter, as the result is the same: death."

"Yet this Sylar still lives? How did he do that if this so-called 'super-virus' is always fatal?"

"My fault, I'm afraid," Mohinder replied. "I was in possession of a blood sample from someone who could regenerate," he paused to glance at Nathan, who nodded him on. "That blood sample was meant to cure someone else of the virus, but Sylar held hostage someone innocent and very dear to me. I was forced to give him the healing blood in order to save her and myself."

"So you let loose a known serial killer to save some girl?"

"Not just some girl!" Mohinder protested. "Both of her parents were killed by that madman, as was my father, and I had no intention of seeing her die by his hand as well!"

"_Excuse me?" _Matt interjected, nearly jumping up. "Are you saying he came after Molly again?"

"Yes, Matthew," Mohinder apologized. "I'm sorry, but he held Molly hostage, shot Maya point blank, and threatened to kill the both of us, too, if I didn't cure him."

"She better be alright or--" Matt demanded.

Mohinder held up his hand to cut him off. "Matthew, I've told you, she's fine, and we can discuss her later, but we have business to discuss, now, alright?"

"So you have an interest in this girl he saved too, Mr. Parkman?"

Matt turned his attention from his roommate to the man questioning him. "Yes, sir. I was the officer who found her hiding in her parent's house after Sylar killed them. Hers was the first voice I heard," he paused to tap his temple before continuing. "She and I kind of bonded after that, and we, well, we've become family, I guess," he chuckled.

The man raised his eyebrow in acknowledgement before he turned his attention back to Nathan. "Senator, just where do you propose we have these facilities to help these people with abilities?"

"Well, we lost the PrimaTech Facility in Hartsdale, New York, but we still have the Pinehearst facility in Fort Lee, New Jersey, and PrimaTech's Odessa, Texas facility."

"There's also a branch in Los Angeles!" Matt spoke up. The others looked at him. "What?" he shrugged. "I'm from there, and it would be an easy place to get to for those on the West Coast."

"So we have three facilities spaced out around the country to help those with abilities, is that correct?"

Nathan answered this one. "Yes, it seems that way, sir."

"How long have these facilities been operating, did you say?"

"According to my mother, who is apparently, the last of the Group of Twelve Founders that originally ran these facilities, since at least the early Sixties."

"The rest of these 'Twelve Founders' are all dead, then?"

"Yes, sir," Nathan answered. "In fact, it appears my father, Arthur Petrelli, faked his own demise for nearly a year before coming out of hiding. He then killed Mr. Parkman's father, and another fellow Group member, simply for intimidation purposes. That left only himself and his wife, my mother, from that group."

Matt winced at this mention, as he recalled learning of his father's death from Daphne's offered memory.

"You're sure he's really dead this time?" the man's aide asked.

"Yes," Nathan answered with a slight smirk at the absurdity of the situation before turning serious, "my brother, Peter, was a witness to Sylar putting a bullet in my father's skull, and I saw the body shortly after, myself. He was dead. Peter formerly worked as a nurse and confirmed it."

"I see," the man said, looking over his notes. "Back to this virus, where is it being kept? How do we know it won't be spread among the population?"

"Mr. Parkman can confirm that he and I saw the last known samples of that particular virus destroyed before our eyes," Nathan replied, and Matt nodded his assent. He almost added the details of that encounter with Adam and the contagion he almost unleashed, but decided it was better to remain secret, especially since Peter destroyed the sample with his bare hands with a power he no longer had.

"Well then, gentlemen," the man said, glancing among them, "it seems that you appear to be a trustworthy lot that want to correct the sins of your parents and help others. You just want Federal funds to help you in your endeavor?"

Matt looked to Nathan. "Actually, sir," he began, "we don't need financial help. We just wanted to be totally above board and to work in conjunction with all authorities and agencies in helping people."

"You don't need money?" he asked, throwing a curious glance to his aide.

"Correct, sir," Nathan continued. "It seems one of the original Group had alchemical abilities and at least one other had some sort of probability foresight, which he used in playing the stock market, so we have no need for financial aid."

"Well, that will be a relief for the taxpayers," he joked, and the others chuckled along with him.

"In addition, our Japanese cohort has found himself in charge of his late father's corporation, and is willing to turn his resources into helping establish a similar project in Japan and, hopefully, all of the Far East." He paused as the two men across the table shared an impressed look. "With any luck," Nathan continued, "we can open the borders to Canada and Mexico to help any people with abilities there, too. Although, we have been talking about a Chicago office, and my brother Peter knows of a place in Montreal that was previously established, at least as a warehouse, but we haven't had a chance to investigate that particular location, yet."

"Any other locations you know about or would care to share?"

Nathan hesitated before continuing. "One of the former agents of the Company working with us in this transition knows of at least half a dozen 'safe houses' scattered around the world, from England to Continental Europe and Odessa in the Ukraine. We were thinking those might be ideal in establishing a world-wide outreach program."

"Odessa, in both Texas and Ukraine?" he aide asked, chuckling.

Nathan nodded. "We don't know if it was happenstance or intentional," he replied with a hint of humor.

"I see, we'll have to look into that, too," the man said pausing to whisper something to his aide. "Excuse me a moment, will you?" The man reached for the phone. "Yes, would you send them in? Thank you." He turned back to the group.

"Gentlemen, I had some research begun when Arthur Petrelli first requested military aid into this situation and a few names discussed here came up. In fact, it seems Dr. Suresh, here, had already provided Quantico with a list of possible candidates that were in 'grave danger,' I believe you said?"

Mohinder nodded in surprise while Matt and Nathan gave each other curious looks as the door opened behind them. The man waved the newcomers over.

"In particular, this 'Sylar' and that you were already connected to him, Mr. Parkman," he explained. "That was the Walker homicides in Los Angeles, correct?" Matt nodded. "Speaking of, I believe you already know Agent Hanson and Corporal Mills?" He motioned to the two women who had entered.

Matt did a double-take upon seeing who came in. He rose and beamed at the blonde woman across from him, that he had worked with the year before and had not seen since he was in the hospital recovering from his Sylar-inflicted gunshot wounds.

Nathan and Mohinder also rose and congratulated Rachel on her new promotion.

"Both of these ladies will be assigned as government liaisons to your venture," he explained, "to make sure everything is above board, as you said, and to ensure interdepartmental cooperation. The other liaison, Jakob Pradasa, is currently finishing up another assignment, but should be in contact, shortly."

"Thank you, sir," Nathan and Matt replied.

"I am to understand that you already reviewed the other recruits your father had requisitioned?"

"Yes sir," Nathan answered. "We had to refuse several of them, based on our follow-up interviews, but found several recruits that we think will help with any volatile power situation."

"Alright, just for debate's sake," the man inquired, "what do we do with these people once they have been trained in the use of their abilities?"

Nathan spoke up. "As mentioned in the brief, some of those abilities would be useful in various workplaces. Flyers, teleporters, and speedsters would find a niche in the courier industry; strength and telekinesis could be used in construction as well as rescue operations; telepaths could be interpreters, provided they know both languages; many others we could find whole new industries for, depending on the ability and the skill of that person."

"What if these people were conscripted into literal super-weapons?"

Matt scowled as Nathan answered, sternly, "We would hope it won't come to that. Sir."

"Not all nations would agree with you, Senator."

"We realize that, sir, and I would hope that it never comes to pass," he replied. "These are people, not rifles and bombs."

The man nodded grimly. "I realize that, and realize some people won't care and will use their people as terrorists, unfortunately."

"Can we look into some sort of temporary amnesty for those people?" Matt asked. "I mean, for those forced into terrorist acts, train them to control their powers properly, and hope for the best that they won't turn against us?"

"We'll have to look into it, Mr. Parkman," he replied, then turned back to Nathan. "You mentioned a regenerative blood sample, what about medical research?"

Nathan hesitated. "I, uh, I'm afraid that we would ask these people not to exploit themselves like that. I don't want to see someone like that held prisoner and used as an endless supply of organ donations or cure-alls for diseases. The abilities I mentioned that would be good for the workforce would also be completely at the discretion of that individual. If a woman could lift a Humvee, but wants to be a housewife, who are we to deny her?"

The man frowned. "Yes, I see where you're coming from on that point. So you want to train people in the control of their abilities, if necessary, and allow them to go back to their lives or put their abilities to use for humanity, if-and I stress this again, _IF_ they want to?"

"Yes, sir," Nathan replied, as the others nodded their assent.

"Mr. Parkman, I understand you had some strong concerns about turning this into a modern day 'Red Scare', witch hunts and all, quite literally, it seems?"

"Yes sir," Matt replied. "I don't want to see a new Kristallnacht happen. People rounded up just for being different, which I, um, I think you would understand?"

The man gave Matt a stern look. Matt looked down in embarrassment. "You're Jewish?"

Matt almost choked in surprise. "I'm sorry? Yes?"

The man chuckled and waved his hand. "Don't worry, Mr. Parkman, Senator Petrelli expressed your previous concerns, noting your fears and the fact you mentioned in particular the Japanese internment camps in California you informed him of." He smiled. "Not a good day for the American people. And yes, I do indeed understand. I am old enough to remember some of the hatred that some people still can't let go of even today. I'm just glad the people who elected me have looked beyond color of skin. Hopefully, they can come together and overlook this as well," he said, motioning to the files before him. "I do agree that I don't want to see another Tuskegee or even a Holocaust happen."

Matt glanced to his friends, still slightly embarrassed, but now tinged with a bit of hope.

"It's just that," he continued as Matt's heart skipped a beat, "you promise you didn't use your mental powers on me, today?" He looked Matt square in the eye.

"What? _No!_"Matt spat out, totally flustered. "Honestly? I'm too nervous right now to concentrate on doing something like that, much less have the concentration to keep that thought in your mind!" he protested. "Besides, it wouldn't be fair to us or anyone else to do that, _and_ I used to be a cop."

The man smiled. "Just as I thought, pardon the pun. Relax, I was merely testing you, Mr. Parkman," he chuckled and Matt finally relaxed. Nathan nudged his arm and Audrey winked at him.

"Congratulations, gentlemen, as far as I'm concerned, you have the blessings of this Administration behind you."

"Thank _you_, Mr. President," Nathan replied, rising again and shaking the man's hand.

"Congratulations, Nathan," the President's aide enthused. "Looks like you're finally going someplace."

"Thanks, Liam," Nathan replied. "I won't forget this, buddy."

"Now the hard part," the President said. "Breaking the news to the world that super-humans really do exist."

Matt glanced at Nathan. "As long as I don't have to stand next to him at the press conference again!" he joked.

"So much for 'To Serve and _Protect_'!" Nathan chided.

"Don't worry," the President said. "I'll make sure you're all three up there beside me on the podium when I have to announce this to the world."

Matt felt the blood drain from his face. A glance at Nathan told him he was feeling the same dread.

-

**Elsewhere, in a cabin in the woods...**

"There will come a time. Maybe tomorrow, next week, next year, when you realize the...hunt, your entire life, is meaningless and disappointing. because there's no challenge in it. You know, all the power in the world doesn't matter, if you've lived an unsatisfied life."

Samson looked up at his son. "But I think you know that already, don't you? You want to know more, or are you going to kill me now?"

Gabriel looked down at his father, thoughts churning....

To be continued....

-

A/N: last bit quoted from "Shades of Gray", wherein Gabriel Gray must decide whether to continue his redemption as Sylar or embrace his life as Sylar. Will he make the same choice this time?

_______


	4. Chapter 4

HEROES: Duality p4 - Resolutions

Disclaimer: I own nuttink!

Notes: Having written the bulk of "Darkness" before s3 played out, I found the show went in a different direction than I thought it would. I eventually figured out where my story and the show canon really diverged. Here's what happened in my AU, and it's all Matt's fault, as usual. (sorry, Grunny!)

Pinehearst and PrimaTech have been given government sanction. The President is readying to announce the existence of "Specials" to the world. Meanwhile, Sylar has found his true father and now searches to find his destiny as a new drug has begun hitting the streets....

-

**Costa Verde, CA - The Bennet house, 12:30 pm**

"I'll go in and get Lyle to help with the groceries," Sandra informed her husband.

"You know, it's the little things like this I missed out on, didn't I?" Noah asked as he followed her to the front door, arms laden with food.

"I wonder what's got Mr. Muggles all excited?" she asked him as she reached for the door. They could hear his agitated bark racing from the front entry back to the living room. "Lyle? What did I tell you about throwing the ball for Mr. Muggles in the house?" she asked as she stepped inside.

The couple walked in to see the Pomeranian following his favorite tennis ball, nipping at it as it hung a foot over his head, dancing back and forth.

"What in--?" Sandra started, but found Noah charging past her, having dropped the bags he was carrying and reaching in his jacket for his gun.

"Sylar!" he growled. "Sandra, get out, call for help!"

She did as she was told, backing out the door and fumbling in her purse for her cell.

Mr. Muggles had caught the ball in his mouth and raced back into the living room. Noah followed cautiously and drew his gun on the man sitting on the couch.

"What the _HELL_ do you think you're doing here?" he demanded.

Sylar glanced up from the excited ball of fur in his lap. "Playing catch?"

Noah took a step forward.

"Don't worry, I would never hurt Mr. Muggles," he said calmly, petting the dog's thick fur and removing the ball from his mouth. "I think he likes me." He tossed the ball to the side and Mr. Muggles dove after it.

Noah wasn't deterred. "Get the hell out."

"Or what, you're going to shoot me?" he asked. "You remember how that went last time, don't you?" He glanced down as Mr. Muggles jumped back into his lap with the ball. "Besides, I think the wife and kids might be upset if you hurt the poor, innocent puppy, here." He raised an eyebrow as he looked up at Bennet. "Don't you?"

"What do you want?" Noah growled.

"I just wanted to see Claire, nothing more," he said as he glanced toward the door. Noah heard Sandra cry out in surprise as her phone suddenly flew out of her hands and into the yard. "Just to talk, nothing more."

"You leave my daughter alone," Noah snarled, trigger finger twitching.

Sylar slowly rose, holding Mr. Muggles. "I just wanted to apologize," he said. "For all the--" he paused, searching for the word, "--trauma I've caused her of late."

This took Noah off guard. "What?"

Sylar turned and set Mr. Muggles down on the couch, where he yipped in frustration realizing his new friend was done playing. "Let's just say, I did some soul searching, and I want to make amends."

"Why don't I believe you?"

Sylar let out a half-chuckle. "I've been used and played my whole life, it seems," he explained. "You remember, don't you Noah? When you and Elle tricked me into killing that kid, Trevor?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Noah said.

"That's a lie." Sylar's mouth twisted in a half-smirk. "She should have let me hang. It would have saved a lot of people a lot of misery. Ask that little girl of Mohinder's. Molly, isn't it? I guess I owe her an apology, too."

"Keep the hell away from her or--"

"I have no intention of hurting her, either, Noah," he said. "You see, I know now what it's like to lose someone you love, perhaps the only one who truly loved me when I was just a means to an end for everyone else. A weapon. A tool. Something to be bought and sold."

"What are you talking about?"

"I met my father," he said. "My real father, not the man who abandoned me and my mother. That was my uncle, it turns out. My real father was like me, too."

Noah grimaced.

"Did you know him?" Sylar asked. "He hunted down people with abilities, too. Killed them like I did just to take their powers. I guess the apple didn't fall too far from the tree in my family, did it? Makes me wonder how your young son is going to turn out. Larry, isn't it?"

"Lyle," Noah corrected him through gritted teeth.

"Lyle, hm," Sylar noted with a tilt of his head. He took a step toward Noah. "Do you remember what I wrote on the wall in my apartment? 'Forgive me'. That's all I really ever wanted," he explained. "But you couldn't let me have that, could you?"

"Get the hell out of my house," Noah said again.

"That's all I ever wanted, forgiveness," Sylar repeated. "I realize now, I have to forgive myself before others can forgive me. That's why I came here, to apologize to Claire."

"So you said. She's not here," Noah said. "Now get the hell out."

Sylar mused at him. "You don't get it, do you?"

"Get what?"

"When we worked together? When Angela gave me a chance to redeem myself as her son? I was happy," he explained. "I found a new path laid out before me. But you, you couldn't let me change. All you saw was a killer."

"That's all you are."

"That's what you made me."

"You had already killed before we found you."

"Ah, yes," Sylar mused. "Brian Davis. He didn't want his ability, you know."

"So you killed him and took it."

"At the time, I thought he wasn't worthy of being special," he explained. "Sure, I could blame it on The Hunger my own ability gave me, but in the end, I became an addict. I craved knowledge, power, whatever you want to call it."

Noah glared at him sympathetically.

"Like I said, Angela gave me a chance to redeem myself," he explained. "But that was on her terms. I want another chance, but on my terms."

"Like hell," Noah spat.

"Lock me up, I'll just find another way to escape. It's not that hard to do," he chided. "I've done a lot of harm to a lot of people, and meeting my father has made me realize it's a wasted effort in the end."

"What are you talking about?"

"My father is dying of cancer. He made me realize that all this killing, all this mayhem, it accomplishes nothing in the end except misery. Sure, you can argue my actions have made others seem like heroes, but--" Sylar paused, remembering his father's words. "'All the power in the world doesn't matter, if you've lived an unsatisfied life.' That's what he said. That's what I've lived, an unsatisfied life."

"I'd just be satisfied if you died." Bennet countered.

"Noah, please," he chided. "There's no getting through to you, is there?"

"You're a liar and a killer, why should I believe any of this?"

Sylar sighed. "I knew I should have talked to Peter first. You want me to leave? Fine, I'm going, but think about what I said, Noah." He glanced back to the couch, "'Bye Mr. Muggles, I had fun playing with you, boy."

As he said this, Noah found his arms being forced upward, like a puppet, so his gun pointed at the ceiling. He briefly wondered if Sylar had taken Eric Doyle's power as the man casually strolled toward and out the door.

Sandra watched him exit from the safety of her car, ducking down in hopes he wouldn't see her. She watched him as he walked across the lawn, stopped and held out his hand for a second, then turned and strode to her. He tapped on the window. She jumped in fright.

"You dropped something," he said and held up her cell phone. He waited for a moment for her to roll down the window. When she didn't, he simply placed the phone on top of the car and walked away. Noah came running out of the house a minute later.

"Where did he go?" he asked, running up to the car.

"I-I don't know," she replied, still trembling.

"Dammit!" he exclaimed and hit the roof of the car. The phone started to slide off, but he caught it before it could hit the concrete of the driveway.

"What-what did he want, Noah?" she asked as she got out.

"More mind games," he replied. "He claims he wanted to apologize to Claire and turn over a new leaf."

"Are you serious? Is he? After what he did to Claire and who knows how many others?"

Noah didn't answer. He honestly didn't know what to believe. He pulled out his own phone and punched in a number. "You'll never guess who I just got a visit from."

"Sylar?" came the voice on the other end.

"Yeah, and you better give your youngest a heads up, he said he should have talked to him, first."

"I understand," Angela replied. "I'm having dinner with my sons, tonight. Maybe I'll set an extra place?"

"He said he wanted another chance, and to apologize to Claire," Noah explained.

"So I did manage to get through to him, after all?"

"I'd advise against playing another mind game with him. He wanted to get his old job back it seems, but on his 'own terms'. Whatever he meant by that."

"Maybe he was right, he should have talked to Peter, first," she replied and hung up. She held the folded phone up to her chin and pondered this development. After a moment, she opened it and dialed another number. "Yes, it's Angela Petrelli. Tell me, are you free for dinner tonight? I need to discuss something with you and my boys. No, just you. Alright then, see you around seven? Yes, my place. Thank you."

She folded her phone closed again and glanced at the clock. Three hours was plenty of time to get ready. "Bea, we'll be expecting two more guests for dinner tonight," she informed the maid.

-

**Petrelli Residence, 6:55 pm**

Peter went to answer the door, surprised at who he found standing there. "Matt?"

"Hi, I heard there were cheap lap dances among other things to be found here?" he joked in his best lascivious voice.

Peter rolled his eyes and shook his friend's hand in greeting. "Yeah, Nathan's seeing another client right now, but he should be free in a few minutes," he joked back.

"No seriously, your mother asked me to dinner, said she had matters to discuss?" Matt explained. "She didn't really elaborate."

"Yeah, she's good at that," Peter replied, leading the way to the dining room.

Matt had never been inside Manse Petrelli before and was slightly taken aback by the luxury. "Is this a house or a museum? I've been in a few of the more glamorous Los Angeles domiciles and this one could give them a run for their money."

"I grew up here and I'm still not sure how to answer that, Matt," Peter replied with a smile.

"Janice's dad was a lawyer, too, and even for LA, his house was a bit more modest."

"Really?"

_Yeah, and her mother could give Angela tips on how to stay frigid. Brr_! he thought to his friend.

Peter laughed out loud.

"What's so funny, you two?" Angela asked, startling both men. Neither had noticed her sitting at the head of the table when they walked in. A shared smirk between the two men was all she needed to know. "I thought as much," she said coyly. "Where's Nathan?"

Stifling a laugh, Peter answered, "He was upstairs. Want me to get him?"

"Would you? I have to talk to Detective Parkman," she informed him. "Alone."

Peter gave her a questioning glance and left.

"Now then, sit, Detective," she ordered him. Matt did as he was told before he realized it. "Now then, how many times have you encountered this Sylar, Detective?"

Matt cringed at the name. "I've seen his handiwork a number of times, Mrs. Petrelli. Molly's parents were the first--"

"I asked you how many times you have come face to face with him, Detective, not how many crime scenes he has left for you."

Matt collected himself and continued, defaulting to 'cop mode'. "After Molly's parents were killed, he came after her in the station. Killed two good men and almost killed Agent Hanson, our new FBI liaison. I thought I had shot him, but he escaped." He paused before continuing. "The next time was in Kirby Plaza. He literally returned the four bullets I had shot at him, sending me to the hospital, while he somehow escaped."

"Any other occasions, Detective?"

"A few near misses, but no actual contact with him since Kirby, ma'am."

Angela mused over this information. "You barely seemed to control yourself when I mentioned him. Why is that?"

"Besides what he did to Molly and me? He's a killer, Mrs. Petrelli. A cop killer, even, and I'm a cop. It's my duty to--"

"What if I told you he briefly worked for me recently?"

"I'd say you need to change your hiring practices," he shot back. "Ma'am."

"At the time, I had a need for his, shall we say, talents?" she informed him. "The enemy of my enemy and all that."

"You mean you used him to get at your late husband?"

"That was one of the reasons, yes," she replied. "You're good, Detective. Very good."

"Are you trying to tell me you want me to track Sylar down?"

"Quite the opposite, Detective. He's coming here. Tonight."

Matt rose. "What? When were you planning on telling us? Do Nathan and Peter know?"

"We do now, Ma," Nathan said from the doorway behind Matt. "What are you playing at, now?"

"Trying to make lemonade out of lemons, dear" she replied with a smile.

"What's going on? How do you know Sylar is coming here?" Peter asked.

"Because he told Noah Bennet as much," she replied. The three men started.

"Is he okay?" Matt demanded to know.

"What about Claire?" the brothers echoed each other.

"Relax, Noah is fine, as is his wife. Neither Claire nor her brother were home."

"What about the dog?" Matt asked.

Angela sighed. "Yes, the dog is fine, too, Mr. Parkman." Nathan rolled his eyes, but Peter gave him a warm smile.

"Sorry," Matt apologized. "Ted almost hurt him when we, uh, never mind, shutting up now."

"When you two blew up his house?" Angela asked. Matt cringed and turned red in embarrassment. "As I was saying, Sylar is coming here, tonight. Noah claims he said he wanted to talk to Claire, but after a brief stand-off, he declared he should have talked to Peter first."

"Me?" Peter shouted. "Why me?"

"I don't know," she mused. "Perhaps you can ask him when he gets here? Right now, I'm famished. Do you want to eat while we can or wait until he shows up?"

The trio looked at each other before Nathan took the lead and sat down at his mother's right. Peter took the chair to her left and Matt beside Nathan. Pleased with their decision, Angela picked up a tiny bell at her side and rang it. The kitchen door opened a minute later and the maid brought out a tray of Beef Wellington and baked potatoes.

Matt was visibly uncomfortable with being waited on. Peter shot him a look and mentally said, _Just go with the flow, Matt. Pretend you're in a restaurant._

_Museum, restaurant, what next? _he replied. Peter's reply almost made Matt choke on a bite of beef.

"You alright, Matt?" Nathan asked, clapping him on the back.

"Yeah, fine," Matt coughed as he shot Peter a dirty look. Peter raised his wine glass in salute.

"Are you boys quite done?" Angela asked, before taking a sip of her own wine.

Matt shot Peter another dirty look. "Yes, ma'am." The brothers snickered.

"Well, at least one of you can show some respect," she said icily. "Speaking of, don't you know how to knock?"

The three men seated around her all looked to her, but she was staring at the other end of the long table.

When they turned to follow her gaze, they sprang into action. Matt pulled his weapon, Peter's hands flared in energy, and Nathan jumped up to defend his mother.

"SIT DOWN!" she yelled. "All of you. Sit down, right now."

Sylar held his hands up as a show of good faith. "My bad. It seems I was expected, however."

Angela went back to her dinner, slicing another piece of meat. "Yes, Noah called immediately after you left. Please, sit, pull up a plate."

"I wondered why there were five settings," Nathan grumbled as he retook his seat.

"I don't like this," Matt said. "I don't like _him_."

"I didn't ask you if you liked it, Detective," Angela retorted before turning her attention to Sylar. "Now then, Gabriel, you had something to ask us?"

Sylar smiled at her use of his given name. "You gave me a chance to redeem myself once before, Mrs. Petrelli."

"Yes I did," she replied.

"Except you did it for reasons of deceit. You lied to me and used me to further your own agenda."

"I gave you a chance to see there was more to life than killing."

"And then it all came crashing down, much like your precious PrimaTech."

"It was just a building. The few people left inside were dead, anyway," she said casually.

"Meredith was in there," Nathan countered. "She was Claire's mother."

Angela opened her mouth to reply, but Sylar held up his hand. "That was my fault, Nathan, and I apologize," he said calmly. "To you and Claire. My rage over your mother's--and father's for that matter--deception drove me to try to teach a fatal lesson to Claire. For that, I apologize."

Nathan glared at the man, fists clenching. He suddenly found Matt's hand on his wrist. "He's telling the truth. He really is sorry for what he did," he said in disbelief.

"And I should apologize to you, Matt," he replied. "Then again, you were trying to kill me."

"You killed Ted Sprague, Molly's parents, you shot Maya--whoever the hell she is--right in front of Molly, and who knows how many others you've killed?" Matt said grimly. "You deceived Mohinder for how long? You used him to kill more people, and then almost killed him and Peter when they realized who you really were. You were willing to destroy New York City, even! I'm a cop. I'd just be doing my job to put a wild animal like you down."

Sylar sat there, taking in Matt's tirade. When he finished, he merely said, "Touché." Matt fumed. "I guess that means I owe Mohinder and young Molly an apology as well." He turned to Peter. "And what about you, Peter? What do you have against me?"

"Besides when you almost killed me?" Peter regarded him a minute. "We gave you one chance and you threw it back in our faces. Why should we trust you this time?"

Sylar smiled. "You're right. Why should you trust me? I was the one who was lied to and became a monster because of those lies. Twice over, that I know of." He cast a glance at Angela. "I don't blame any of you for your hatred of me. Why should I?"

The other three exchanged glances.

"The thing is," he continued, "the first time, I was brought in and forced to work with you--well, really just Noah--and it failed. I fell prey to my Hunger for knowledge and power. This time, I'm coming to you on my own terms. Like someone told me, how do you live with an unsatisfied life?"

More looks exchanged. Angela took another sip of wine.

"Thanks to Claire, I'm basically immortal now. Don't you think all the killing and bloodshed would get old after a few years?" he asked. "I realized I want more out of life. I used to help people, fix watches. I want to do something constructive again, not destructive. I am asking for another chance as a Company agent."

"No," Matt said flatly. "Absolutely not. There is no way in hell I'm going to trust you after what you've done to me and mine in the last year."

"Can I just say, if not for me, you wouldn't have Molly, right now?" Sylar countered. "You probably wouldn't even be involved in all this--" he waved his hand, "--crazy weirdness of a life, right now? In fact, they probably would have thrown you in a mental institution for 'hearing voices', you know."

The quartet exchanged more glances, a fuming Matt standing firm on his decision. _The Company would have bailed you out if they had, Detective,_ Angela projected to Matt.

He gave her a questioning look. What did she mean by that?

It was Peter who finally broke the icy silence. "He does have a point."

"I know I do," Matt interjected. "The man's a killer and--"

"I was referring to Sy--Gabriel, here," Peter replied, catching himself. "He is asking to make amends for his past wrongs. I say we give him another chance. If anything, it's a better way to keep an eye on him. Mom, Nathan?"

"I told you, I'm not a part of the Company, this time," she said. "If you want advice on how to bring down a dangerous person, I will advise you, but that's it. This decision is up to you three, and we now have one vote either way. Gabriel has stated his case. It's up to you now, Nathan." She took another sip of wine. "Just remember, no fighting in the house."

Four pair of eyes focused on the former Congressman and junior Senator of New York.

"Sylar has caused a lot of damage in all our lives," he began. "Gabriel Gray tried to turn his life around once with the Company. He is correct in that he was deceived into doing so, but now wants to try again without any coercion. Is that correct, Mr. Gray?"

Sylar smiled. "Yes, Senator, that is correct."

"Would you agree to a probationary period, under constant supervision if we allowed you to work for us again?"

"You mean the same treatment as before? I basically live at PrimaTech, only going out on assignments, then right back to my quarters?"

"Pretty much, yeah," Nathan answered.

"Nathan, don't," Matt muttered under his breath, not caring that Sylar could hear him. "This is a big mistake."

"Is that what you say to someone who's served his time and tried to change his life around while in prison?" Nathan asked.

"He's never served time for his crimes, Nathan!" Matt protested.

Nathan mused his decision. "Think of this as a work release type program," Nathan explained. "If this works out, he gets some small freedoms back over a period of time." He looked directly at Sylar. "A _very_ long period. If not, we lock you up and make you stand trial for murders you have readily admitted to us."

"Sounds fair to me," Gabriel replied.

"I can't sit here and take this," Matt said, standing up to leave. The others called after him to stop.

Much to his chagrin, he had to pass by Sylar to exit the room and the man grabbed his arm as he did. Matt drew back to punch him.

"Whoa! Hold on a second," Gabriel pleaded. "I don't expect your forgiveness right away. I'm just asking for a chance to make amends. To try and make some right after all the wrong I did."

"Get the hell away from me," Matt snarled, pulling his arm free. He stormed out the front door, slamming it behind him.

"Should I--?" Gabriel asked the others, motioning after him.

"I'll go," Peter said and teleported outside. Angela harrumphed as she ran her fingers through her hair, straightening it from the gust of displaced air in his wake.

"Matt, wait up!" Peter called out, chasing after his friend.

"No, Peter!" he yelled. "I'm not going back in there, and I sure as hell am not forgiving that murdering bastard for what he did to my family! To you, to Claire, to everyone else!" Matt protested.

"Alright, fine, you don't have to," Peter replied, trying to calm him down. "You and Molly are from LA, right? You guys were going to head up that branch of the Company, we'll keep him out here on the East Coast well out of your way. Sound fair?"

"Fair is seeing that fucking psycho pay for what he's done, Peter!" he fumed.

"I understand, Matt," Peter replied. "Hell, he's tried to kill me several times over. If not for Claire, I would have died in Odessa the first time I met him, much less when he killed me in Mohinder's apartment."

"I live there, too!" Matt argued.

"Right, you do now, but you didn't when he tried to kill Mohinder and me." Peter reminded him. "Didn't you know that when you moved in?"

Matt sighed. "No, not right away. Not until," he paused be fore continuing quietly, "Mohinder had a nightmare about it. His screams woke me up and he confessed what had happened. Hell, he still has the occasional nightmare about what happened to his father. That's another of his early victims!" He pointed back at the house for emphasis.

"Matt, this isn't like you, and you know it."

"I'm sorry, Peter," Matt said. "I just thought this was a business dinner for Company business, not an ambush trying to hire that murderer back to the Company."

"Yeah, mom's kinda devious that way," Peter chuckled.

Matt looked at his friend and the goofy smile on his face. He bust out laughing as well. "Dammit, Peter," said when he finally caught his breath. "I had a nice mad-on going, and you went and ruined it!" he joked.

"Yeah, I know," Peter agreed, chuckling.

Both men stood there, unsure what to say next.

Peter finally broke the silence. "Do you need me to call you a cab or something?"

Matt thought about it for a second. "Nah, I need to take a walk, work off the rest of this anger off before I get home."

"Matt, it's at least ten miles!" Peter protested. "How about I teleport you halfway there? Sound fair?"

Matt looked at his friend. "I don't have to hug you for this to work, do I? I know you Petrelli boys are all about the hug."

"Funny guy," Peter laughed, grabbed Matt's shoulder, and the pair vanished in a gust of wind as Angela watched from the front window. (Matt would later apologize for the shoes, but Peter brushed it off.)

She smiled. Things were happening just as she dreamed they would. At the very least, she was glad Matt hadn't shot up her house when he pulled his gun. It was nice to see the boys getting along. Mostly. They would have to for what was coming.

"He doesn't like me very much," Sylar said from behind her.

She turned and saw Gabriel standing there, Nathan watching him from the doorway. "You have caused him much grief, Gabriel. The two of you will have to work it out. There is much you must atone for to earn his forgiveness." She strode past him and up the stairs.

Gabriel Gray raised his eyebrow in curiosity at her words.

"You say that as if the fate of the world depends on it, Ma," Nathan noted before Gabriel could say anything.

She turned and forced a smile at her eldest. "It does."

-

Elsewhere....

"Yo, man, where you been?" the tattooed man, Frankie, asked his former gang leader.

"Away," he answered gruffly, checking the street traffic.

"Lock up? I didn't hear you went in, where at?"

"Nah, not the usual place," he replied. "Listen, I got some new stuff, expensive but it's worth every penny."

"What'chu talking 'bout, man? What'chu got?" Chino asked.

The black man held up a vial of pink liquid. "Something that's gonna change the world, man. Call it...Formula P."

"Looks like kool-aid, dawg."

"Formula P? What's the 'P' stand for?" Frankie asked in disbelief.

Knox smiled. "Power."

TBC________


	5. Chapter 5

HEROES: Duality p5 - Coyote

Disclaimer: I own nuttink!

Notes: Having written the bulk of "Darkness" before s3 played out, I found the show went in a different direction than I thought it would. I eventually figured out where my story and the show canon really diverged. Here's what happened in my AU, and it's all Matt's fault, as usual. (sorry, Grunny!)

Pinehearst and PrimaTech have been given government sanction. The President is readying to announce the existence of "Specials" to the world. Meanwhile, Sylar has found his true father and now searches to find his destiny with the reformed Company as a new drug has begun hitting the streets....

Angela woke with a start. She forced herself to calm down as she felt her heart race in her chest. As she did so, she reached for her bedside notebook and made some notes. She drew a lazy eight. A Moebius strip, she remembered it being called as a phrase ran through her mind. "Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it."

She wrote this down, paused and without thinking wrote two more words: Coyote Sands.

She looked at what she had written. "It's time. It's been too long, Alice."

That morning was a flurry of calls to various parties.

-

Matt Parkman was not a happy man at the moment. Watching the news made him even less so.

"_The President has appointed now-former junior Senator Nathan Petrelli from New York to head this new department, but is keeping details under wraps, but the position did require Mr. Petrelli's resignation before his post appointment, citing a "conflict of interest" with his Senatorial duties. You may remember that Mr. Petrelli was just recently appointed to the vacant Senate seat by New York's Governor Malden following an attempted assassination on Petrelli who was giving an impromptu news conference in Odessa, Texas. Petrelli has maintained a "no comment" status regarding that incident and has currently denied interviews for the time being, only saying he is working with the President on a matter of high importance."_

Matt grumbled as he dialed a now familiar number and waited for the other person to answer. The reporter droned on in the background.

"_In other news, a bank in the Los Angeles suburb of Valley Village was robbed late last night. There was no sign of forced entry, authorities are saying it's as if the money simply vanished from the vaults. Security cameras in the lobby show no one entering the bank or leav--" _klik.

Matt shut the TV off as a drowsy voice answered, "Hello?"

"Pete, it's Matt," he said into the phone as he set the TV remote down. "You got a few minutes?"

"Mom called you?"

Matt hesitated. "Yeah," he replied gruffly. He started to jump as a gust of wind ruffled the morning paper at the table. "Daphne, what did I say about running in the apartment?" he said before he looked up.

"Sorry, Matt, it's just me," Peter replied, grabbing a chair. "You got coffee? You woke me up."

Matt gave him a dirty look and closed his phone. "What's with the wind, anyway? Hiro doesn't blow things over when he teleports."

"I didn't pick this up from Hiro," Peter shrugged. "I'm not sure who it was. I just started doing it after everything that happened at Pinehearst."

Matt gave him a wary look. The female private from Pinehearst, Rachel Mills, who was now one of their government liaisons, came to mind. _Could that have been her secret? _he wondered.

"What did you want?" he asked. "Having second thoughts about this 'camping trip' mom decided would be a good 'bonding experience' for all of us?" he groused.

Matt didn't have to be a mind reader or a detective to tell Peter wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea, either. "He's going to be there, isn't he?"

"Gabriel?" Peter asked. "Yeah, mom wants all of us to be there."

"Molly's not coming," Matt glared at Peter. "I'll stay home and we'll get to know each other again. I just got her back after Mohinder sent her to India without telling me."

"I'm sure mom will let Molly slide, Matt," he said. "Claire and Micah and his cousin are invited, but I think that's it for the younger group."

"Wait, Micah?" Matt asked, puzzled.

"Niki's son, the little jheri-curled kid from Kirby?" Peter replied.

"Yeah, you mean Molly's email, FaceSpace, Tweeter buddy?"

"I wouldn't know anything about that, but yeah, he and his cousin from New Orleans are coming. He's a technopath or something. Not sure what she does, but I guess I will later."

"He's a what?"

"Technopath, he talks to machines."

"What, like email and stuff? That Hana chick could do that," Matt explained. "Which reminds me, she would be a good member for the tech department or IT or whatever. Remind me to remind Noah about her," he said, making a note for himself.

"okay, whatever," he shrugged.

"She could talk to machines, too, I think," Matt explained. "I only met her once, when she contacted Ted and sent us to Bennet's to find the truth about what he had done to us."

"What did Noah do?" Peter asked, perplexed.

Matt sighed. "Apparently, nothing. Just a few tests, the basic bag and tag. At the time, we thought the Company had done this to us. That's when Ted nuked his house."

Peter laughed. "Okay, _now_ I know what you're talking about. When you first met Claire?" Matt nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, she told me all about that," he laughed.

"Everything?" Matt groaned.

Peter smiled and made a finger gun. _bang_.

Matt leaned his head into his palm and grumbled, "Not my finest hour." Peter stifled a chuckle and Matt glared at him. "Anyway, tell your mother I'm not going."

"Come on, Matt, Gabriel is trying to change," he implored. "Everyone else is giving him a second chance. Why can't you?"

Matt stared at the table. "Molly still wakes up screaming from her nightmares. Mohinder, too. That's why."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"They started again when she was in India," he said. "That whole fiasco when he broke in and shot Maya and threatened her and Mohinder started them off again." He looked Peter in the eye. "She's terrified he'll come back after me and Mohinder, Peter."

"Then leave her with someone you trust, and the both of you come on out. It's the only way you can see he's trying to change, Matt."

"Well...there is someone who could watch her. He's on the way to--where are we going again?"

"Some place in Arizona. Coyote Sands?"

Matt grimaced. "Sounds like that nuclear test site, White Sands. Why there?"

Peter shrugged. "Something about 'learning the lessons of the past to avoid the mistakes of the future,' she said."

Suddenly, another gust of wind blew into the room. Matt sighed. "No running, remember?"

"Unclench, Matt," Daphne said as she kissed him on the head. "What's up with you two?"

"We've been invited to a Company camping trip," Matt informed her. "I don't suppose your dad could watch Molly for a few days?"

Daphne gave him an exasperated look. "Uch."

"I just want her somewhere where she'll know she can be safe," he explained. "I can't think of any place better than way out there on the farm."

"You're such a city boy," she said in mock disgust. Peter chuckled. "Fine, I'll call and ask dad. Where and when's the trip?"

-

"Are we there yet?"

"No, we're not there, yet."

"How long until we get there?"

"As long as it takes."

"How long is that?"

"Lyle, so help me, you better shut up! Right now!"

"MOM! Claire's threatening me again!"

"Good." Sandra replied, exasperated with her bored teenager.

Noah glanced to his wife and smiled. "You know, there's a reason they call it _Coyote_ Sands...."

Claire smiled tauntingly at her brother.

"_MOM!"_

"Shut up, Lyle."

-

"Are we there yet?"

"Shut up, Damon."

"Are we there yet?"

"Shut up, Damon."

"Are we there yet?"

"You know, there's a reason they call it _Coyote_ Sands, Damon," Nana said in a warning tone, glancing at Monica behind the wheel. Monica and Micah smirked in return.

-

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Want some cheezy poofs?"

"No--wait, what?" Matt asked. "Where'd you get those?"

"That gas station ten miles back."

"I didn't see you buy them back there."

"I ran back and got some."

"Daphne, what happened to the 'no powers' rule for this trip?"

"We could have gotten there by now if I ran us out, Matt."

"She's got a point, Matthew," Mohinder noted.

Matt gave his former roommate a dirty look.

"No powers means _NO POWERS_," Matt reiterated.

"What if there's coyotes?"

-

Angela strode the campground. No, not a campground, she thought. Battle ground. She shivered at the thought of what happened here. How many lives were lost. The swingset frame and a coiled bouncy horse still stood in the playground area. She turned back to the weathered ramshackle cabins. The thought crossed her mind that they had been aged by more than the desert.

Would the others understand? Could they? She braced herself again for what was to come. There were secrets she had to share with them, others she could never share. She practiced locking those away once again.

"Mom?" Peter called to her.

"Over here, dear," she replied, turning back to the impromptu semi-circle of large tents being set up by her two sons and Gabriel. A smile came to her lips as she saw Nathan struggling to assemble his, while Peter and Gabriel had a pair of tents each already erected. "I thought we had a 'No Powers' rule this weekend?" she scolded the younger men.

Peter and Gabriel shared a smirk. "You okay? You look upset," Peter asked.

"I'm fine," she interrupted. "Just memories," she explained, "of the last time I was here." She forced a sad smile. A revving engine caught her attention and the quartet turned to see a pair of SUVs pull up.

Matt and Mohinder exited the first one, Daphne came running up from the side, causing Matt to roll his eyes. "Hi, just stretching the legs a bit," she explained cheerily.

The second one contained two young black boys, who came tumbling out as soon as the vehicle stopped. Two women, one young, the other old stepped out behind them. "Micah! Damon!" the younger woman called after them, "Behave yourselves!" She turned to the rest. "Hi, sorry about them," she apologized.

Micah had bolted for the SUV they had followed in. "Molly! Hey Molly!" he called out.

Matt intercepted him. "Micah? Sorry, my man, Molly couldn't make it." He knelt down on one knee to face the youth at eye level.

"What? Why not?" he demanded.

Matt glanced toward the tents and one man in particular. "I didn't feel she was up to this after being away so long," he explained. Adding mentally, _"Let your family know -discreetly- that if that guy with the eyebrows over there, Sylar, if he steps out of line towards any of you, give me a shout as loud as you can, you understand?"_

Micah frowned, but nodded in understanding. He tried not to look directly at the man in question, but he had to.

He saw Peter and Mohinder greet each other warmly. Mohinder also seemed to shy away from the man with the eyebrows, but shook hands with Nathan.

Matt caught his attention again. "You want to introduce your family?" Matt waved over to the Petrelli's as he said this.

Nathan greeted the pair first. "Hey Matt, how are ya?" he said, shaking his hand. "And this must be Micah? I'm sorry about your mom. She was a good woman."

"Thanks," Micah replied. "She died trying to save us. She was a hero."

"That she was," Nathan replied warmly, patting him on the shoulder.

"Hello young man," Angela greeted him, them turned to his great-aunt. "Hello, Nana."

"Angela," Nana Dawson replied coolly. "Long time, no see."

"How long has it been?"

"Not long enough for my tastes," she replied. Both sides took this in and felt the tension in the air.

"I'm not in charge this time," Angela explained. "I'm only giving the occasional bit of advice."

"Which is the reason you asked us out here?"

"That, and I felt I owed it to young Micah to help shape the Company that helped take his mother's life."

Nana raised an eyebrow. "Niki died in a fire."

"True, but the damage was done before then," Angela countered. "Mistakes were made. Mistakes we are here to learn from."

"You're the last?"

Angela forced a grim smile. "Yes, unfortunately. We lost some good people along the way. Niki included."

Nana still regarded her coolly. "I know why you asked us here. Micah and Monica. This is my grandson, Damon, by the way."

Angela greeted the young trio with a forced smile. "Nice to meet you." Not one of them bought it.

Still, Monica replied the same before she finally got a chance to greet Mohinder. "How are you doing?" he asked. They caught up while he introduced her to the Petrelli brothers, Matt and Daphne, and cautiously, Gabriel.

Nana stood beside Angela and surveyed the ramshackle buildings. "I heard the stories about this place. Paulette and I almost came here. I can't imagine how hard this would be for you."

"I lost my family, but found a new one here," she replied.

"I'm sorry," Nana replied sincerely. "I can feel them, you know. The spirits still linger in this place."

Angela sighed. "That's what I was afraid of."

At the sound of another engine, Angela turned to see Noah Bennet finally arrive with his family. She was glad for the distraction. "Ah, here comes my granddaughter. Would you care to meet her?"

More introductions followed, Sandra glad to finally meet her daughter's 'bio-dad', as Claire jokingly called him. Noah greeted the other men, introducing his son, Lyle, to them. Nathan apologized for not bringing his boys along, as Heidi refused to let them come out, even with Peter co-chaperoning them.

"You didn't bring the dog?" Matt teased Noah, winking at Sandra.

"You didn't bring the girl," Bennet countered. Matt's grin became a scowl, as he tossed a glance to Sylar. "Ah, silly me," Noah said in realization. That's when he noticed Lyle taking it upon himself to meet the brief partner of his father's who he had not been introduced to yet.

"You must be Claire's brother, Larry," Gabriel said, taking the young man's hand. "Nice to finally meet you."

"Larry? Nah, dude, I'm--"

"_Lyle!" _Noah shouted at his son as he and Matt came running over. "What did I say about wandering off out here?" he chided, both men scowling at the man they still thought of as a cold-blooded killer.

"Dad, chill," Lyle countered. "I was just introducing myself to your friend, here."

"He's not my friend, Lyle," Noah informed him, keeping an eye on Sylar. "Go help your mother and Claire."

"But dad--"

"Go." Noah pointed back to his wife. Lyle sulked off.

Gabriel smirked and glanced between the two. "He came to me, Noah. I was just minding my own business over here."

"Don't even think about it, Sylar," Matt scowled, leaning forward.

Noah put a restraining arm against Matt's chest. He pointed his other finger at Sylar. "The only reason you're not dead right now is because of Angela. She's the only thing keeping you breathing right now," he warned. "Believe me, there's more than a few people out here that would love to be the one to put you out of our misery."

"I'm on my best behavior, guys," he countered, holding his palm up flat. "Scout's honor."

Matt scoffed. "Like you were ever a Boy Scout."

"Got me," he smirked. "Would you like me to swear I'll behave on my mother's grave?"

Matt started to charge him, fists clenched, but Noah grabbed his shoulder. "Don't play his games, Matt. He's not worth it." Gabriel regarded the pair coolly. "We'll be watching you," he warned and led Matt back to the rest.

Gabriel watched them go, then noticed Claire watching him. He waved, but she turned her back on him.

"Give them time, they'll see you're trying to change," Peter said as he walked over. "Eventually."

"And until then, I have to tolerate the dirty looks and scowls from everyone?"

"After everything that Sylar has done, can you blame them?"

Gabriel watched the others talking and laughing, even as they gave him nervous looks. "No, I guess not."

By this time, the last two members of their new Company had arrived. Ando and Hiro still arguing in their native tongue over a missed turn causing their delay.

Angela soon organized a quick tour of the buildings to the group, explaining how she and her family had come there in early 1961 in hopes of curing her of what they just thought of then as nightmares. She had met a group of young people as diverse as the abilities they possessed. "Among them were Charles DeVeaux, Daniel Linderman, and Bobby Bishop. As a matter of fact, the first man I met here was the head doctor, Chandra Suresh. I believe some of you may have read his book?"

Mohinder was taken aback. "Excuse me? My father never mentioned coming to America at that time," he argued.

Angela nodded. "Being new to the--how should I put this--web of secrecy and lies that would soon dominate our lives, we weren't aware that other parties might have already organized a task force of others with Special abilities. We believe that the US Government wiped his memory of his time here," she explained. "It was probably for the best, really. He was one of the few survivors of the massacre that took place. It was really a mercy on him to erase what happened."

Mohinder's horrified look spoke volumes the others dared not imagine. Matt put a consoling hand on his friend's shoulder.

"For what it's worth, I do believe now that his heart was in the right place," she consoled him. "It's just that the people who really ran this place had other ideas." She tossed a casual glance to Matt and the Japanese duo.

As night began to fall, the men quickly built a bonfire from the fallen boards of the buildings which Gabriel then used his electrical ability to ignite.

Angela continued her story and explained she didn't know until after they had arrived that her father possessed some sort of shockwave blast ability. She happened to see him demonstrate his ability to the staff on an impromptu firing range a few days before the massacre took place. This was also where her sister, Alice, had revealed to Angela her ability to summon storms. That was how she knew it had all gone wrong that fateful night.

Peter and Nathan protested about this mystery aunt of theirs. Angela told them to be quiet, listen and learn why she never spoke of this place before as she continued her story.

She was among a quartet of teens who had snuck out, she explained, believing things at the camp were not as they seemed on the surface. More soldiers had been arriving than many were comfortable with. They were trying to find someone to believe their story when they had stopped at a nearby diner, the news reports came over the radio of a freak storm centered over the camp.

"I knew it had to be Alice," she explained. "No one else here had an ability like that. We received news of what had happened from the only three people we knew that made it out alive." She looked around at the group. "You know of two of them. Adam Monroe, who claimed he was working undercover as a guard." She focused on Matt. "The other was Maury Parkman."

Matt gasped. "What? Excuse me?"

She nodded. "The five of us returned to New York after hiding out in Las Vegas for a few months until we thought things had cooled down, as it were. Three of us were from the area originally, so it made sense at the time. No sooner had we arrived than Maury found out his family was in trouble. We helped them move to California for safety. He never told you this?"

Matt shook his head. "I never knew the real reason they moved across the country. No one would ever discuss it."

"The secrets we keep to protect our loved ones," she said, still watching him.

Matt sensed there was something else she wanted to say, but Nathan cut her off.

"Ma, how come you never told us any of this before?" he asked.

"You were too young. We were too ashamed," she replied. "Ask Noah, very few at the Company even knew about this place. Those that did hear about it were told to forget it even existed by those who were here." Noah nodded his confirmation. "As far as those few survivors of this place were concerned, the fact that we managed to keep it hidden so long proved our methods were working." She forced a grim smile in the firelight. "How wrong we were."

"You never came back?" Peter asked. "Not to check for survivors or anything?"

Angela shook her head. "No. We knew it would be a foolhardy venture and we would be shot on sight by any surviving soldiers. Maury and his one friend managed to stay hidden until Adam found them and smuggled them out." She turned to Matt. "From what your father told us, they were extremely lucky."

"Who was his friend?" Matt asked. "Who else made it out?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't really know the boy," she replied. "As soon as we had met up, he was insistent on returning home to California with some family friends, I believe, then back to Japan."

"Huh?" Hiro and Ando suddenly gasped. "He was Japanese?" Ando asked.

"I believe so, Mr. Masahashi, but I can't be certain," she replied. "It wasn't Kaito, I know that much," she told Hiro with a sad smile. Hiro gave her a courtesy nod.

"So what happened to all the bodies?" Gabriel asked. Everyone stared at him. "I'm sorry, you did say it was a 'massacre' that occurred here. Did they bury the bodies here or take them elsewhere, to a lab or something?"

This time, it was Nana Dawson who answered. "They're here. All around us," she said. "I could feel them the moment we arrived. Some spirits still remain, restless, they feel trapped, angry." She hugged her shoulders.

"Grandma, what are you talking about?" Monica asked.

"What, you think we were all invited out here because of you and Micah?" she scoffed. "The Company tried to recruit my sister Paulette and I back when we were your age." She locked eyes with Angela. "Paulette bought into their lines, but I was too smart to fall for that."

"We offered you a chance at a better life," Angela countered.

"Is that what you call what you did?"

"Ladies, please," Noah interjected. "Not in front of the children." He gave a quick nod toward Micah.

"Shall we continue?" Angela said, motioning Nana back to her lawn chair.

As Nana took her seat, she mused, "Anyone know any good ghost stories?" Nathan and Gabriel chuckled. "Nice to see some of you still have a sense of humor," she noted. "Now, down to business." She surveyed the group, then pointed at Matt. "You, Officer--?"

"Parkman," he answered, raising an eyebrow. "Detective Parkman."

"Very well, Detective, you sit there," she ordered, pointing to her right. "It's the way you carry yourself, by the way," she smiled at him. Matt nodded, but couldn't help but notice it was 3:00 to her 12:00 position. She pointed at Mohinder next. "I need you beside him," she pointed to a spot to Matt's right. She then pointed to Nathan and Claire. "Petrelli's, I need you there," she said, pointing to a spot opposite herself across the bonfire. Claire gave her a questioning look and joined her father. Finally, she pointed to Peter and Gabriel. "I need you two over there," she pointed to a spot opposite Matt and Mohinder. "Finally, Angela and Kaito's boy--?" she pointed to Hiro.

He gave her a confused look. "Hiro Nakamura, but I no longer have powers?" he questioned.

She gave him a warm smile. "That doesn't matter, young Hiro," she said. "Please, have a seat here by Angela and myself. He gave her a small bow and did as she asked.

She looked around the group once more. "No, we need a few more. This isn't balanced." She glanced around the remaining group. "Monica, please sit across from me." Monica shrugged and joined Claire and Nathan. "And you, Mrs. Parkman," she pointed at Daphne, "please join your husband.

The group fell quiet. "Uh, we're not married." Matt finally spoke up. "Not yet, anyway," he added quietly so even Mohinder barely heard it sitting beside his friend.

Nana smirked at him. "I'm sorry, did I speak out of turn?"

Matt and Daphne looked at each other. She rolled her eyes. _"I told you, it's fate," _he mentally joked. She went to sit by him and smacked him in the head, which he laughed off and hugged an arm around her.

Nana looked around. "We're missing someone. Who didn't make it?"

"Molly!" Micah piped up without thinking.

Immediately, Matt was on his feet. "NO! I told you, I'm not letting her anywhere near him again!" he shouted, pointing over to Gabriel.

Nathan and Peter rose to their feet as well, Peter putting his hand on Gabriel's shoulder. "Calm down, Parkman," Nathan scolded him.

"Shut up, Nathan!"

"Boys, please!" Angela called out. She turned to Nana. "Is the girl necessary for this?"

"I'm afraid so," Nana replied. "Are you sure, Mr. Parkman? Can you bend your rule this one time?"

Matt still glared across the fire at Sylar.

"How long will this take?" Mohinder asked her. "Maybe we can bring her out here for whatever you need to do, then send her back to--"

"_NO!" _Matt interrupted his friend. "She's been through enough! I won't put her through this as long as he's here."

"Matt, please," Daphne asked. "None of us would have come if it wasn't so important." She glanced at Angela, who gave her an impressed smile.

"The girl has guided several lives here tonight without any of you realizing it," Nana told them. "Did you never realize she was the one who started you on your journey here, Matthew?"

"What?" Matt asked, dumbfounded. "What are you--?" Then he realized what she was talking about. "Molly was the first voice I heard. I guess I never realized, in an extremely roundabout way, she brought me into contact with Sylar, Audrey, Ted, Noah, Claire, Peter, Nathan, and Mohinder."

Daphne cleared her throat and elbowed him.

"So, it really is all my fault, bringing her into your life," Gabriel said. "Isn't that right, Matt?"

Matt glared at him. "You killed her parents and who knows how many others," he snarled.

"Then it's up to the girl to forgive him," Nana said.

Daphne gripped Matt's clenched hand as he looked to Mohinder, who nodded his assent.

Matt held his gaze at Sylar. "Anything happens to her, to anyone here, and there will be no force on Earth that will stop me from ending your life. Do you understand me?"

"Fair enough," Gabriel replied calmly.

"Rage, anger, it's wasted energy, Matthew," Nana informed him.

Mohinder looked across the fire. "Peter?"

Peter rose and walked over to Matt and Daphne. "You want me to take the both of you?"

Matt looked to Daphne, who nodded. "Yeah, I can run back if three is too much for you," she told him. Matt informed him of Molly's location mentally. He nodded and grabbed both by a shoulder and the trio disappeared in a gust of wind.

"I'm not exactly Mr. Popular with everyone here," Gabriel informed Nana. "Are you sure you need me for this?"

"Yes," she replied. "I think some changes in placement are needed, though." She mused for a minute, then said, "Nathan and Claire, please join Gabriel." Claire glanced to her father before the pair moved. "Yes, and the girl can sit with her fathers, Peter and Mrs. Parkman can sit with Monica."

Mohinder laughed. "I'm sorry, they're still not married," he told her again.

"No, not now, but they will be," she replied with a smirk. A few chuckles were heard scattered around the fire.

Beside her, Angela let a warm smile curl her lip before she noticed Mohinder looking at her. She shot him a dirty look.

Suddenly, Peter and Matt reappeared, Matt holding a sleepy preteen girl. She looked around in confusion at the faces around the fire, recognizing very few.

"Molly!" Micah called out and ran to the trio. This seemed to wake her up and she hugged him as soon as Matt set her down.

"Daphne will be back in a minute," Matt explained, retaking his seat. He paused and looked around at the seating changes.

"Peter, please sit with Monica, Daphne can sit with you when she returns," Nana informed him. She turned to Matt. "Your daughter can sit with the two of you. Fair enough?"

Matt tossed Sylar a glance, then looked to Nathan, who nodded. Matt gave a grim nod and pulled Molly down between himself and Mohinder. Molly finally noticed Sylar and hugged Matt for protection. He put a protective arm around her. Mohinder placed his hand on her back for comfort.

Daphne came running up at that moment. "Sorry, I had to talk to--" Matt sent her a quick mental reminder not to say where they had kept Molly. "um, never mind. Where did you want me?" she asked, seeing that her seat was now taken.

"Over by my granddaughter and Peter, dear," Nana told her. When Daphne had taken her place, Nana began her tale.

"For generations upon generations, certain people have risen above and stood out, making their mark in history. Why does this happen? Why are certain people chosen to answer this call and not others? Why are we here? We may never have the answers to any of these questions, but it is the wise men and women of the tribes who know where to look to help their people find their way. Medicine Men. Witch. Wizard. Shaman. Prophets. Messiahs. Angels and Demons. Astrologer and Astronomer. Scientists, Saints, and Sinners. All of these names and more. Who knows, perhaps the gods of old were merely ordinary people with special abilities just like us. Reality spun into myth and legend as time passed. The Aesir and Vanir of the North, The Greek Titans begat the Olympic Pantheon, which were adopted by the Romans. The Egyptian Ogdoad and Ennead. The African Vodu and West Indian Loa. The Persian gods of Babylon and Mesopotamia. The Hindu Daevas and Slavic Dievas. The Japanese Shinto and Chinese Xian. The Australian Dreamtime and Uluru. The Judeo-Christian and the so-called Pagan beliefs. Even the Americas had their share of spirits they called gods, Inua, Manidoog, Aztec, Apu. Earth Mother, Sky Father. Water Nymph, Fire Sprite. Warrior and Healer. The Good of Justice and the Evil Trickster. Death and Rebirth. Immortals, Anthropomorphs, Incubi and Succubi. All these and more. Common traits are found among almost all communities."

As she spoke, the wind slowly began to pick up. The bonfire roared and grew. Those not included in Nana's circle noticed at first, then those inside the circle began to notice as the fire grew into a pillar of flame.

"We have come here to learn from the past and find our destiny for the future."

The winds grew into a gale force. Angela stood, facing out into the night. "no, it can't be," she whispered.

"Are you all willing to set aside your differences for the sake of the planet, the future?" Nana asked.

Beside her, Angela had become frantic. "Alice?" she called out. "Alice! It's me! It's Angela! It's Banana!"

The ground rumbled. A wall of earth suddenly formed around the circle.

"_ALICE!!"_

Lightning struck the growing pillar of fire.

TBC________________


	6. Chapter 6

_**HEROES: Duality p6**_

_**Disclaimer: I own nuttink! **_

_**Notes: Having written the bulk of "Darkness" before s3 played out, I found the show went in a different direction than I thought it would. I eventually figured out where my story and the show canon really diverged. Here's what happened in my AU, and it's all Matt's fault, as usual. (sorry, Grunny!)**_

_**Pinehearst and PrimaTech have been given government sanction. The President is readying to announce the existence of "Specials" to the world. Angela has convened a new generation of Heroes at the Coyote Sands site to learn where the previous generation began their lives anew, forming The Company. Meanwhile, a new drug has begun hitting the streets....**_

"_**For generations upon generations, certain people have risen above and stood out, making their mark in history. Why does this happen? Why are certain people chosen to answer this call and not others? Why are we here? We may never have the answers to any of these questions, but it is the wise men and women of the tribes who know where to look to help their people find their way. Medicine Men. Witch. Wizard. Shaman. Prophets. Messiahs. Angels and Demons. Astrologer and Astronomer. Scientists, Saints, and Sinners. All of these names and more. Who knows, perhaps the gods of old were merely ordinary people with special abilities just like us. Reality spun into myth and legend as time passed. The Celts, Picts, Aesir and Vanir of the North, The Greek Titans begat the Olympic Pantheon, which were adopted by the Romans. The Egyptian Heliopolis of the Ogdoad and Ennead. The African Vodu and West Indian Loa. The Persian gods of Babylon and Mesopotamia. The Hindu Daevas and Slavic Dievas. The Japanese Shinto and Chinese Tao. The Australian Aboriginals of Dreamtime and Uluru. The Judeo-Christian and the so-called Pagan beliefs. Even the Americas had their share of spirits they called gods, Inua, Manidoog, Aztec, Apu. Earth Mother, Sky Father. Water Nymph, Fire Sprite. Warrior and Healer. The Good of Justice and the Evil Trickster. Death and Rebirth. Immortals, Anthropomorphs, Incubi and Succubi. Heaven, Elysium, Avalon, Nirvana. All these and more. Common traits are found among almost all communities."**_

_**As Nana Dawson spoke, the wind slowly began to pick up. The bonfire roared and grew. Those not included in Nana's circle noticed at first, then those inside the circle began to notice as the fire grew into a pillar of flame.**_

"_**We have come here to learn from the past and find our destiny for the future."**_

_**The winds grew into a gale force. Angela stood, facing out into the night. "no, it can't be," she whispered.**_

"_**Are you all willing to set aside your differences for the sake of the planet, the future?" Nana asked.**_

_**Beside her, Angela had become frantic. "Alice?" she called out. "Alice! It's me! It's Angela! Banana!"**_

_**The ground rumbled. A wall of earth suddenly formed around the circle, separating the chosen group from those outside. **_

"_**ALICE!!"**_

**Lightning struck the growing pillar of fire.**

**Panicked shouts from outside of the wall could be heard inside, but those inside were not worried. They weren't aware of much anything, as they had now all fallen under the spell of Nana's story.**

**Outside the newly risen stone wall, another story unfolded. The remaining families of those inside scurried for shelter from the storm. Noah Bennet herded them to the ramshackle buildings for protection, knowing the tents and vehicles would only last so long in the wild weather.**

"**Is everyone here?" he asked the frightened group. He scanned the darkened building, lit only by the occasional lightning flash. Sandra and Lyle, Ando Masahashi, and the young cousins, Micah Sanders and Damon Dawson. **_**Great**_**, he thought, **_**just a supercharger and a technopath stuck in a place without any electricity. I'm the only protection we've got from a freak storm and a mystery mason.**_

"**Are you boys alright?" Sandra asked the three young men. All three answered in the affirmative, noting they were soaked and concerned about those trapped inside the wall.**

"**Did you see anyone else out there?" Ando asked Noah.**

"**No, but it's dark and our fire made an easy target," he replied, trying to keep his voice down from the boys. "Looks like we may have a squatter or two with an ability?"**

"**Who would want to live all the way out here?" he asked, scanning the grounds outside between lightning flashes. "They'd have to be crazy."**

**Noah turned to him and smirked. "Or crazy like a fox. If their ability is dangerous or hard to control, they knew they had to get as far away from people as they could. Where else but an abandoned complex like this one?"**

**Ando thought about this for a second and nodded. "Makes sense to me, but we still don't know who they are."**

"**Then we better introduce ourselves, shouldn't we?" He turned back to the others, "We're going out go out and see who is doing this, try to check on the others. Stay here and stay safe. Boys, you listen to Sandra, do whatever she tells you, understand?"**

**The trio nodded. "Be careful, Noah," she told her husband as he and Ando stepped back out into the storm.**

"**So tell me, have you tried to use your power offensively?"**

**Ando raised his eyebrows. "I haven't thought about it."**

"**No time like the present. Follow me," Noah said and made his way through the rain soaked buildings.**

_**He wants me to use my powers in all this rain? Crazy gaijin! **_**Ando thought as he followed the horn-rim spectacled man back through the downpour.**

**-**

**Matt looked around. He didn't recognize the misty surroundings. Definitely not abandoned the military base bonfire they had been at moments earlier. A hand tugged his arm. He looked down and smiled.**

"**Matt, where are we? Where is everyone?" Molly asked.**

**Matt looked back up. He couldn't see anyone through the mist. "Can't you feel them? Mohinder, Daphne, Peter, Claire, anyone?" he asked.**

**She furrowed her brow in concentration. "They're here, but they're not? It's like they're fading in and out?"**

**Matt began shouting names, calling out to anyone. A breeze brushed by. "Daphne?" Even his voice now sounded hollow.**

**Slowly, shadows seemed to appear. He reflexively drew Molly nearer.**

"**Nathan? Claire? Matt?" It was Peter's voice.**

"**Peter?" Matt called out. A shadow drew closer. Matt reached out to touch it. "Nathan?" he said as he grasped and pulled the figure closer to him.**

"**Where is everyone, Matt?" the now-former Senator asked.**

"**I heard Peter calling a second ago," he replied, still searching the mist. Another pair of shadows drew closer.**

"**Pete?"**

"**Nathan?" a female voice replied.**

"**Ma, is that you?" he asked, grabbing at the shadow. Angela and Nana stepped forward, holding hands. "Where are we?" he asked the other lady.**

"**Out of time," Nana replied. "We must find the others, and hurry."**

**Matt was about to point out the paradox in her statement, but was distracted by a voice at his side. "There!" Molly shouted and Matt reached to the shadow she was pointing at. Peter appeared at the end of Matt's hand, Claire followed him.**

"**Hiro!" Nathan cried out.**

"**Nathan Petrelli!" Hiro answered and reached out of the mist.**

"**What about the rest?" she asked.**

"**They're out there, I can feel them," Molly answered. "Even **_**him**_**," she said in disgust.**

"**Matt! Hiro!" Daphne shouted. Matt and Nathan both reached out in the direction of the voice, pulling her into the group.**

"**Who else is missing?" Nathan asked.**

"**Monica," Nana said.**

"**Grandma? Is that you?" a voice called out.**

"**Here!" Peter said, grabbing another shadow. Monica appeared. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Is everyone okay?"**

**Another shadow appeared by Matt. He knew who it had to be as he hesitantly reached out, pushing Molly behind him. A hand grabbed his wrist and the final member pulled himself forward. Gabriel Gray. Matt fought the urge to push him back into the mists.**

"**Thank you, Matt," he said sincerely.**

"**Don't mention it," he replied through gritted teeth. "Ever."**

**Nana interrupted before more could be said. "Now that everyone is here, please resume your positions and grab hands," she instructed. **

**The dozen did as they were told, Nana taking the initiative, grabbing Hiro's hand. The rest followed suit: Mohinder, Molly, Matt, Daphne, Monica, Peter, Claire, Gabriel, Nathan, and Angela, who held Nana's hand.**

"**As I was saying, throughout time, special people have risen above the rest. Evolution, fate, who can say?" she explained. In the center of their circle, a light began to glow. History unfolded.**

**-**

**The woman watched the pair make their way through the storm battered grounds. **_**Who do these people think they are? **_**she wondered. **_**They need to leave us alone.**_** She concentrated again and rock walls began rising between the buildings, forming a maze for two of the intruders who had escaped her wall around the bonfire. **

**The pair were unaware of her actions, the sound of the storm covering the noise of moving rock. Noah Bennet turned a corner and nearly broke his glasses on a wall that hadn't been there a minute earlier.**

"**What the-?" he exclaimed as Ando bumped into him. "Where did this come from?"**

**-**

**Back in the desert aged shelter, Sandra kept a watch for any sign of the others, while still keeping an eye on the trio of teen boys left in her care. They were getting bored and began checking out the remnants of scattered debris in the building. She saw Lyle bend down and pick up a long piece of paper. He brought it to her, dusting it off.**

"**Where did this come from?" he asked, handing it to her.**

"**I don't know," she replied, trying to examine it between the lightning flashes. She could barely make out the faded words and images. Then she realized what it was: an old book cover. "Alice in Wonderland? Who did this belong to?"**

**-**

"**Someone's toying with us," Noah told Ando over the storm. "We have to get back to the others!"**

**Ando nodded and turned back the way they had come, only to find another wall. They were boxed in. "What now?"**

"**Now, we find out how you measure up against stone," Noah replied. **

"**You think I know Kung-Fu?"**

"**Use your lightning, try to blow the stone into rubble."**

"**oh. that," Ando replied before concentrating. He could feel the power welling up inside of him, flowing down his arms. He smirked as he couldn't make up his mind to say "HADOUKEN!" or "Kame-Hame-**_**HA!" **_**as he released the red energy at the wall.**

**He barely scorched the stone.**

"**Is that all you've got?" Noah asked.**

**Ando rolled his eyes and let the power build up again. "Hai!" he shouted, releasing another volley.**

**This time, a small crack appeared. Ando was almost pleased with himself until he realized they weren't getting any wetter. **

**Whoever was controlling the walls had given them a roof, effectively placing the duo in a stone cell.**

"**Any other bright ideas?" he asked Bennet, who gave him a dirty look.**

**- **

"**Matt, help me!" Molly cried as the vortex swept around her.**

"**MOLLY!" he shouted in response, reaching up to no avail, feeling helpless to save her.**

"**I can't get a grip on her," Peter said, reaching out his hand trying to grab her telekinetically.**

"**Professor, give me a boost," Monica said as she ran to the girl's other foster father. He quickly cupped his hands and lifted as soon as he felt her foot, throwing her into the air after the girl. She flipped up and grabbed the pre-teen in mid-air, hoping her additional weight would be enough to bring them down. They twirled about in the air for a long minute.**

"**I've got them!" Peter cried, straining as he pantomimed pulling in a rope, drawing the larger pair back to the assembled group.**

"**Don't ever scare me like that again!" Matt chided Molly as he grabbed her from Monica, who he whispered his thanks to.**

**-**

**The door to the cabin flew open, startling Sandra and her three charges. "Who are you?" a female voice demanded, shining a high powered flashlight into Sandra's face.**

"**We mean you no harm!" Sandra shouted in defiance. "We're just camping here for the night and we'll be away in the morning!"**

"**Who are you?" the young woman demanded again.**

"**What did you do to my husband and daughter, and all our friends?" Sandra demanded of her accuser. "Who are **_**you**_**?"**

**The woman lowered her flashlight. "My name is Sparrow Redhouse and you people are not welcome here."**

**Micah perked up. "Hey, I know that name," he said to his cousin. "I saw it in one of the files that--"**

"**Fool! Shut up, she gonna kill us!" Damon hissed back.**

**Micah stood up. "We're friends! We-We're like you," he said. "We're Special, too."**

"**What you mean **_**we**_**, fool!?" Damon nudged him.**

**Sparrow gave the young man a skeptical look. "What do you mean, 'Special'?" She glanced at Sandra and Lyle, who was standing defiantly beside his mother. "What can you do?"**

"**I can kick your as if you touch one hair on these kids!" She shouted back.**

**Sparrow crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow in disbelief. "I didn't think so," she said and looked back to Micah. "Who are you and why are you here?" she asked again.**

"**The name's Bennet and we're here for answers, Ms. Redhouse," came the reply from behind her. **

**Before she could turn, she felt the cold metal barrel pressing against the back of her head. She slowly raised her hands in surrender. "Chill, dude, no one's been hurt," she said. "Yet."**

**- **

"**Peter!" Angela cried. "Something's wrong! We need you to end this! Now!" She looked from her youngest to the shaking form of the woman whose hand she held.**

**The link having already been broken again, Peter rushed to the side of the two older ladies. Matt joined him, searching for any thoughts she might have to get them out of their predicament.**

"**Grandma!" Monica called out, panicked. Mohinder held her back, allowing his friends to try and save her.**

"**The strain has been too much! She's suffered an aneurysm!" Peter called out. "I need to relieve the pressure on her brain, but we don't have any tools or time!"**

"**I think I can be of some assistance," Gabriel said, stepping up behind him. **

**Matt turned and gave him a grim look of warning. **

"**Trust me, I've studied the brains of many people," he said, holding his hands up in a show of good faith. "No tricks," he replied as Matt and Peter shared a look, then Peter glanced to Monica, crying in Mohinder's arms.**

**Peter clenched his jaw and nodded. "We don't have any other choice, Matt." Matt moved back to allow Gabriel access to the one person who could get them home. He hoped they were doing the right thing.**

**Peter linked his mind with Gabriel's, allowing them both to share their knowledge and save the woman.**

**-**

"**What have you done to our friends?" Noah demanded again.**

"**They're safe," she replied, looking him in the eye. "Or at least they were when I thought I confined them inside my wall. Where did they go?"**

**Sandra started at this. "What do you mean? Where's my daughter?"**

**Sparrow shrugged. "I checked on them before finding you here. No one's inside the wall I put around the campfire."**

"**Hiro?" Ando asked Bennet. "Could he have somehow regained his abilities?"**

**Noah kept his gun trained on the young woman. "I don't know. If anything, it might have been Peter," he replied. "He can teleport, too. Probably got everyone away from this storm." His thoughts turning, he asked. "You responsible for this sudden storm, too?"**

**Sparrow smiled. "Maybe, maybe not. What's it to you?"**

"**I want to know where my daughter is," Sandra begged. "Please!"**

**Sparrow turned to her. "I said I don't know." She looked back to Bennet. "And if you don't let me go, this storm won't end and it'll wash away any trace of where they might have gotten to."**

**Noah eyed her. "It's not you, but you know who is controlling the storm," he deduced. "Who is it?"**

**Sparrow smiled again. "Someone who just wants to be left alone. She's been here a very long time."**

**A look of fear flashed across Noah Bennet's face. He heard Angela's screams. He realized who it was. A forgotten name in a very high access file. "She's dead."**

"**No. No, she's not." Sparrow replied. "She's very much alive...and right now, she's very angry."**

**Lightning flashed and thunder shook the cabin.**

**-**

"**Grandma? Can you hear me?" Monica asked.**

**The frail old woman opened her eyes. She forced a smile. "My story's not quite done, yet, my dear," she said weakly.**

**Peter leaned in. "Can you take us back? Do you feel up to it?"**

**She gave a weak laugh. "I'm not the one who brought you all here," she smiled.**

**Peter looked around in shock. The others returned confused looks. "Then who--?" he asked.**

"**He always did enjoy story time," she replied, closing her eyes.**

**Several turned to their Japanese friend.**

"**Who, me? I no longer have power," Hiro protested.**

"**You all have the ability to do whatever you put your minds to," Nana replied.**

"**Hiro, if you can get us home--?" Matt asked.**

"**B-but I cannot, Matt Parkman. I have no power!" he protested again.**

**Angela spoke up. "You only think you don't. You must look within, Hiro," she told him. "Your father always knew you had great potential. Don't let him down."**

**Hiro looked around the group. Nathan and Peter nodded their approval. Matt smirked and gripped his shoulder. Claire gave him a quick hug. "You can do this. We know you can." Even Gabriel Gray, the man once known as the serial killer, Sylar, gave a nod of approval.**

**Hiro gulped. Closed his eyes in concentration and "...nothing?"**

**He repeated his actions. Nothing happened.**

"**What's wrong?" Molly asked.**

"**I don't know," Hiro said as he tried again to no avail.**

"**Something's missing," Gabriel said. Everyone turned to him. He snapped his fingers as he realized the answer. "He needs the story to finish. Then we can return home."**

"**Then we're in trouble," Monica said. "Grandma's out of it. She can't finish the story for us."**

**Nathan spoke up. "Pete? Can't you copy her ability? Use it to guide Hiro home?"**

"**It won't work like that," Gabriel said. "We need someone with a natural story-telling ability." He looked to Angela.**

"**I'm sorry, I never read to the boys when they were little," Angela demurred. Both Nathan and Peter agreed.**

**Claire suddenly shouted, "Mohinder!" Several were taken by surprise at her outburst, including the Indian. "Your father wrote a book, didn't he? Couldn't you do the story?"**

"**Claire, it was a textbook, theories on evolution, not some narrative tale like we need," he argued.**

"**What's a theory, but a tale about experiments?" Matt replied, catching Claire's line of thought. "Besides, didn't you say you were a teacher before your father died? Telling tales of theories all day?"**

**Mohinder struggled for a counterpoint.**

"**He's got you there, Prof," Daphne smirked, hugging Matt's arm. Molly giggled and mouthed, "Busted!"**

**Mohinder sighed in defeat. "I don't believe I'm doing this...."**

**-**

"**Alice! Alice, it's Sparrow!" the young woman shouted. "Calm down and stop this storm! Please!"**

**Thunder rumbled ominously.**

"**Alice, please," she shouted again. "These people mean no harm! You're scaring the children here!"**

"**I don't think she's listening to you," Noah said over the storm. "Maybe if we make it look like we're trying to leave?"**

**Sparrow nodded. "That might help."**

"**The only problem is, we have five vehicles and only three drivers, unless you want to help?"**

**Sparrow nodded and they proceeded to round up the rest to give Alice the impression that she had chased them away. They soon realized it was going to be harder than planned.**

"**We've got a slight hitch," Noah said. "We only have keys to two of the vehicles, we need to make her think we have more leaving than that."**

**Micah spoke up. "Are they electronic ignition? Maybe I could start them for you?"**

**Noah glanced to Sandra. "We don't have much choice, do we? I don't suppose you can drive?"**

**Micah shook his head. "No, but I know how. Is that okay?"**

"**I can drive! I've got my license!" Lyle exclaimed.**

**Noah turned to look at his son. "When did you get your license?"**

"**Three months ago?" he replied indignantly. "Remember me bugging you to take me to my test?"**

**Noah looked to Sandra, who had the same annoyed expression. "Oh. Well, if's alright with your mother, then yes. But you follow us at all times, understood?"**

**Lyle nodded and motioned to Micah to climb into the SUV he had arrived in after he had started the other vehicles. Sandra got in the Bennet's car with Damon, Noah hopped in the Petrelli's, while Ando took his own, and Sparrow took Matt's. Noah took the lead, slowly making his way through the downpour back to the road which lead back into town.**

**Almost immediately, the storm lessened and fully stopped in five minutes, but the dark clouds remained hanging over the base. Noah kept glancing back and made note of this. "The problem now is getting back to rescue the others," he told himself.**

**- **

**The air around the now-drenched campfire began to swirl. Another clap of thunder tore through the base. Twelve people returned to the spot they had left.**

"**Yatta!" Hiro cried. "We're back!"**

"**Yay! Jelly Bean and Pickle sammiches for everyone!" Molly cried out before collapsing in Matt's arms. He gave a puzzled laugh and cradled her limp form over his shoulder.**

"**Pete," Nathan turned to his brother. "You need to get Ms. Dawson to a hospital and get her checked out, properly."**

"**Already on it," he replied, motioning for Monica to come with him. "You ready?" he asked. She nodded and he teleported Monica and her grandmother away.**

**Nathan turned to his mother, who was examining the stone wall. "Ma, you okay?"**

"**Something's not right," she said. **

"**You mean besides the stone wall that wasn't here when we left, Ma?"**

"**Don't be smart, Nathan," she scolded. "That storm when we left wasn't natural. There are only a handful of people we know about who could summon the elements like that. Only one of them was ever known to live in the Southwest. We--**_**I**_** believed she has been...dead for almost fifty years."**

"**Ma? What are you saying?" Nathan pushed her. "There was another survivor here?"**

**Angela Petrelli looked her son square in the eye. He could see the fear. "Yes. She was my sister."**

"**Ma? You never mentioned a sister before tonight?"**

"**She's still alive, Nathan, and if she's still anything like me, she'll want revenge."**

**Thunder rumbled overhead.**

"**We need to get out of this circle, first. Let me take you over the wall," he told his mother, hugging her to him and slowly lifting off. He looked around at the drenched camp, noting the remains of the tents...and no vehicles. "Houston, we have a problem. Where are the cars?"**

"**Go help the others out, then we'll see what's what," she instructed her son. He set her down as she glanced around fearfully.**

**As Nathan hovered back over the wall, he found Sylar had lifted himself up on the edge. "Tell me we returned to the right time?" he asked, pointing to where the cars had been parked.**

"**Help me get everyone out, then we're going to investigate," Nathan replied before dropping back down inside. He motioned Hiro and Matt over.**

"**Hiro, are you sure you returned us to when we left?" he inquired.**

**Hiro glanced up to the overcast daytime sky. "I know it was night time when we left, but we should be close to the same time.**

"**What's wrong, Nathan?" Matt asked, sensing his concern.**

"**Hopefully, we're just back a day or two after we left, but all the cars are gone," he confided.**

"**Huh?" both men responded.**

"**We're back shortly after we left, the tents are scattered and soaked, but none of the cars are here." He grabbed Hiro by the shoulders. "Is there any chance you can tell if we're going to jump back and get our vehicles, Hiro?"**

"**I don't know?" he replied. "Not that I know of?"**

**Matt pulled out his cell phone. "No signal."**

"**What were you thinking, Matt?"**

"**Turning the cell off and back on should re-orient the internal clock, but we're too far out for any signal."**

"**What about asking Daphne to zip into town and recon?"**

"**sounds like a plan," Matt agreed. "Let's get everyone out of here, first, ok?" **

**No one wanted Sylar's assistance in getting out, and Hiro was too unsure of his returned power to risk a teleport, so Nathan and Daphne were left to bear the brunt of the remaining group from inside the wall. **

**Molly wanted to go again after getting a lift from Nathan. He promised he would take her later, joking she was a much better passenger than Matt. "I heard that!" he protested, which resulted in a fit of laughter from the pair as well as Mohinder and Daphne.**

**As soon as they were done, the group started to reconnoiter the camp. The muddy tire tracks leading away barely had any water in them. **

"**As soon as they left, the rain stopped," Gabriel suggested.**

"**Someone's controlling the storms?" Mohinder asked.**

"**Apparently, my aunt is," Nathan replied.**

"**Your mother never mentioned her before we arrived here?" Gabriel asked. **

**Nathan shook his head. "As far as we knew, her parents died when she was younger, before dad and I came along, and she was an only child. She never discussed what happened to my grandparents, so dad and I always assumed it was something quick and tragic." He looked around. "If they did die here, that would explain her silence."**

"**It seems we've all lost parents, then," Gabriel consoled him.**

**Mohinder shot him a dirty look and walked back to the others.**

"**I didn't mean--"**

**Nathan held his hand up. "Sometimes we say things we don't really mean. Think before you speak next time, Gabe."**

**Mohinder returned to Matt and Molly. "Find anything?" Matt inquired.**

"**The tire tracks are fairly fresh, barely any water in them," Mohinder explained. "Sylar thinks the storm ended as soon as they left, which wasn't that long ago, or this whole place would be one giant mud pit."**

**Matt nodded and glanced over his shoulder. "Here's Daphne, I wonder of she learned anything?"**

**The speedster ran up to the trio as Nathan joined them. "Nothing to report from town, which is small enough they don't have a daily paper, and they didn't get the latest from outside. Apparently, there were some flashfloods last night from a big storm. It caused a few roads to wash out, so it'll be a day or so for them to get anything in."**

"**So we did just leave last night?" Matt realized. "Good news for Hiro, but that leaves the question, where's Bennet and our rental cars?"**

"**You didn't see our cars in town?" Nathan asked her.**

"**No, I ran past the local motel and grocery store, the most obvious places for them to be," she explained. "I didn't see any vehicles like the ones we brought in. The town's not that big and I did a quick run through all the main streets."**

"**Surely Bennet didn't leave us all out here?" Matt asked.**

"**Bennet has back-up plans for his back-up plans," Nathan said. "He's around, but the question is where?"**

"**I don't suppose you want to fly Claire into town and have her call her parents?" Matt suggested. "Don't forget to ask how they managed to move five vehicles with only three drivers, while you're at it."**

"**Surely Lyle is old enough to drive, isn't he?" Gabriel asked as he approached the group.**

"**We can confirm that with Claire, but that still leaves the mystery fifth driver," Nathan replied.**

"**Surely not the boys?" Mohinder asked. "We didn't see any return tracks, so they can't have doubled back."**

"**And they would want whoever was controlling the storm to think everyone left at the same time," Matt concurred.**

**Gabriel stared at the campfire wall. "Whoever put that wall up must have helped." The others looked at him.**

"**It does make sense," Matt had to agree. "Bennet must have coerced our mystery stone mason into tricking your aunt into thinking we all had left," he explained.**

"**Why don't I grab Claire and run her into town, try the phone there?" Daphne offered and bolted off before anyone could object.**

**Matt threw his hands up in exasperation and laughed at Nathan, with a "what can you do?" look on his face. The group returned to the others, to plan their next action.**

"**Where did Claire run off to?" Angela asked them.**

"**Daphne's run her into town, see if she can call Noah from there," Nathan answered.**

"**Who's idea was that?"**

**Matt and Nathan shared a chuckle. "Daphne's," Matt answered.**

**Angela raised an eyebrow to Matt, then turned to the matter at hand. "We need to spread out, find my sister. Do not approach her. Contact me if you find her."**

"**How will we do that?" Mohinder asked.**

"**Detective Parkman will come with me," she stated to Matt's astonishment. "Simply give him a shout and he will let me know."**

"**If you say so, Ma," Nathan replied. "How do we divide up the rest?"**

"**Molly's not going hunting for this woman, that's for sure," Matt said. **

"**I stay here with her," Hiro offered. "We can wait for everyone else to return."**

**Matt thanked Hiro and turned to Mohinder. "You coming with us?"**

**Mohinder nodded and tossed a dark look at Gabriel before turning to Nathan. "Be careful."**

**Nathan nodded and hovered above the rest. "We'll go high, you stay low?"**

**Matt and Angela nodded and went off with Mohinder. Gabriel shrugged and levitated up toward Nathan. "Shall we?"**

**TBC________________**


	7. Chapter 7

**HEROES: Duality p6**

**Disclaimer: I own nuttink! **

**Notes: Having written the bulk of "Darkness" before s3 played out, I found the show went in a different direction than I thought it would. I eventually figured out where my story and the show canon really diverged. Here's what happened in my AU, and it's all Matt's fault, as usual. (sorry, Grunny!)**

**Pinehearst and PrimaTech have been given government sanction. The President is readying to announce the existence of "Specials" to the world. Angela has convened a new generation of Heroes at the Coyote Sands site to learn where the previous generation began their lives anew, forming The Company. Meanwhile, a new drug has begun hitting the streets....**

**-**

**Matt Parkman led Angela Petrelli and Mohinder Suresh through the ramshackle buildings now lined with six foot walls at odd intervals. They turned one corner and found themselves facing a wall that had blown explosively outward. Matt cautioned Angela to stay back as he and Mohinder stepped forward to examine the damage.**

"**Any clue what happened here, Prof?"**

**The Indian geneticist peered closely at the scorch marks. "Best guess? Lightning strike," he replied.**

"**You think it came from up there," Matt asked pointing up, then poised his hands like he was about to grab something, "or from a man-made source, down here?"**

**Mohinder glanced back to his friend. "It looks like the rock exploded outward to me."**

"**Ando?"**

"**Most likely," Suresh replied. "The question remains, where is he now?"**

**Matt shook his head and suddenly turned. "He's not the only one who disappeared," he said before calling out, "Angela!? Where'd ya go?"**

**Her voice came from a nearby window. "In here, Detective."**

**The roommates followed her voice, Matt spotting her shadow in one of the cabin windows. "What are you doing?" he called in to her.**

"**Remembering," she said with a sigh. "This is the cabin my sister and I lived in while we were here."**

**The duo made their way around to the door and joined her. She was standing in the middle of the room holding a weather worn piece of paper as they approached. "This was hers. Alice's," she said, showing them the paper.**

**Matt looked at it and saw the faded blue book cover with a little girl and a white rabbit.**

"**Alice in Wonderland?" Mohinder asked.**

"**It was her favorite book," Angela informed them. "She took it everywhere.**

**Matt looked around. "Then where's the book?"**

**Angela looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "We find the book, we find Alice." then she strode past the duo and out the door.**

**Matt and Mohinder shared a confused look and followed.**

"**Can you hear her thoughts, Detective?" Angela asked as they followed her, assuming she had an idea of where to go.**

"**I've been trying, but I'm not very good at uh, open listening or radar scanning, yet," he replied. "I could ask Nathan if he's seen anything, yet?"**

"**I'm surprised you haven't already."**

**Matt started to say something, but thought better of it, so turned his thoughts to his airborne companion. **_**Nathan, have you seen anything unusual yet?**_

_**Not yet, Matt**_**, came the reply. **_**There does seem to be some sort of bunker in the hill to east. Meet us there.**_

_**Will do, Nathan**_**, he thought back before turning to the man's mother. "Nathan's spotted some sort of bunker to the east, he wants to meet there. Do you know what that was?"**

**Angela thought a moment as they headed in the direction of the bunker. "I don't really remember. Maybe storage?"**

"**We'll find out," he replied as the trio made their way.**

**When they arrived, they found an agitated Nathan waiting.**

"**Where's Sylar?" Matt asked, annoyed.**

**Nathan jerked his thumb at the bunker door. "He took it upon himself to investigate inside."**

**Angela started to say something, but Nathan held his hand up. "Don't worry, she's not in there."**

**Matt sensed there was more he wasn't sharing. "But?"**

**Nathan glanced at Matt before turning back to his mother. "Some has been living here recently, Ma. There's no way of telling who, but the person does have a few worn, dated dresses near the sleeping area."**

"**Alice?" she asked with a growing panic.**

**Nathan shrugged. "We don't know, Ma. Whoever it is has been living here an awfully long time," he told her as he escorted her inside. She saw Sylar inspecting stacks of aged newspapers, bundles reaching the roof.**

"**I haven't found anything of consequence," he told her. "But whoever is living here has been keeping up with the outside world for a very long time."**

**Angela looked around, trying to take in the fact someone would willingly live by themselves in this isolated camp of nightmares. Then she saw the book laying there on a shelf.**

"**Alice in Wonderland," Gabriel pointed out as she examined it. "It's a very well-worn copy from the Fifties."**

**Angela looked at Nathan with tears in her eyes. "It's hers. I remember this book, Nathan. It's Alice's." She slowly wrapped the aged jacket over the binder. "She's here. She's alive."**

**The men all shared questioning looks.**

**-**

**Claire flipped open her phone. "Great, now my battery's about dead."**

"**Surely there's enough power to make one quick call or text?" Daphne offered as they strode the main street of Coyote Sands proper.**

"**That's about all I'm going to get out of it," the younger blonde griped as she showed the speedster the flashing red battery.**

"**Need a charge ladies?"**

**The young women turned to the voice behind them. A Japanese man was holding up his hand with red sparks flowing around his fingertips.**

"**Ando?" Claire asked in disbelief.**

"**Ando!" Daphne cried out, hugging her friend. "Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you!"**

**Ando laughed as he set Daphne down. "Sorry, we had to leave the camp because of the storm. We were just getting ready to head back out to see if you had returned."**

"**Yeah, we got back about an hour ago," Claire answered. "Where's my parents? How did you get all the cars out?"**

"**Your family is fine, Claire," he informed her. "They are all back at the motel, getting ready to head back out."**

"**Wait, I checked all the hotels," Daphne remarked. "I didn't see any of our cars there?"**

"**Bennet made us park the cars randomly over town, just in case," he replied. "I was just headed over to mine."**

**Claire rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that sounds like something dad would do," she said before turning to Daphne. "You were probably looking for all our cars together, right?"**

"**Yeah," Daphne replied. "It seemed the obvious thing to me, look for two or three of the rentals together," she explained. "That would be the best place to start knocking on doors to find you guys."**

"**That's my dad, master of the obvious," she griped before turning back to Ando. "Well, do you want to get your car first, or tell me where my dad is?"**

**-**

**Back at Coyote Sands Camp, Matt, Mohinder, and Nathan conferred outside while Angela and Sylar looked for clues to Alice's possible whereabouts in the bunker.**

"**You don't really think she's alive after all this time, do you, Nathan?" Mohinder asked.**

"**Some of those papers were pretty recent," he replied, mulling the question over. "The storm that drove away our friends had to be her. I'd say she's still here, maybe even watching us, right now."**

**Matt turned back towards the camp, mentally scanning for any thoughts. "I don't hear anything. There's no storm front moving in. Maybe she's asleep or--"**

**The wind started picking up.**

"**Spoke to soon?" Nathan chided him.**

**Matt gave him a dirty look. "I don't suppose you want to do some more aerial surveillance? See what direction she's coming from?"**

"**Sounds good, give me a shout if she shows up, here," he said as he lifted off again.**

"**What about us?" Mohinder asked as the wind grew stronger.**

"**Back inside!" Matt had to shout in reply as he hustled his friend toward the entrance. He reached out to Molly and Hiro, **_**Take cover, there's another storm blowing in! **_**They responded in the affirmative, Hiro offering to take Molly away to safety.**

"**What's going on?" Angela asked as they came down the stairs.**

"**Wind storm," Matt answered. "Whoever caused the storms may be back."**

"**Where's Nathan?" she asked.**

"**He went back up for some recon," Matt consoled her. "I'm sure he knows what to do if this storm bringer comes calling again."**

"'**Storm Bringer'?" Gabriel questioned. "Someone's been reading too many comics," he chuckled.**

**Matt shot him a dirty look as Angela answered, "What else would you call her? She's a weather manipulator, plain and simple. 'Storm Bringer' is as good a description as any."**

"**I meant no offense, Angela," Gabriel apologized.**

"**The wind's died down," Mohinder noted, staring up the stairwell.**

"**Get back!" Matt shouted, grabbing his friend's arm and pulling him away as a shadowed person began descending.**

**The foursome watched as a woman aged beyond her years entered with a handful of canned goods, barely giving them notice as she set them on a shelf.**

**Angela stepped forward. "Alice? Alice, is that you?"**

**The women turned to face her.**

"**It's me, Alice. It's Banana," she replied, holding back tears. "I've come to take you home." She held out the book to her sister. "I have socks for you."**

**The woman stared at the book for a long moment, then at Angela. "Is-Is it true? You've finally come back?"**

"**Yes, dear," she replied. "I've come to take you home."**

"**A-Angela?" she asked again, confused.**

"**I'm sorry, Alice. I didn't know you were still here."**

**The woman looked down at the book again.**

"**It's my fault. I told you to stay and wait for me, I didn't realize--"**

**Matt sensed the woman's growing anger. "Mrs. Petrelli! Wait--!"**

**The windstorm began again, blowing sand down the stairwell.**

"**You left me!"**

"**I'm sorry, Alice! I didn't know!" she cried over the growing wind.**

"**You abandoned me!"**

"**I wanted to come back, Alice! I did!"**

"**I have lived out here, stealing food and what I needed to survive once the supplies ran out. I don't need you, any more!"**

"**Come home with me, Alice! Meet your family!"**

"**You left me here all alone!"**

"**Yes. For nearly fifty years, Alice, I'm sorry!"**

**Mohinder was having a hard time breathing in the growing wind. "Please! Calm down!" he shouted, reaching for the woman. "Calm down!"**

**Memories of Chandra Suresh pleading the same words raced through her mind. She didn't realize she faced the son of that man, right now, only that they looked similar. She screamed and a lightning bolt shot through the doorway, blasting Mohinder and sending him flying into Matt, knocking both men to the ground and sending several bundles of newspaper tumbling down on top of the pair. **

**Angela screamed "Alice, **_**NO!"**_

**Gabriel stepped forward, protectively placing himself between the two sisters. "You need to stop!"**

**Another lightning bolt streaked through the room, blasting Gabriel square in the chest. He winced at the amount of energy he absorbed, but glanced back to Angela to see she was unhurt.**

"**Alice, please! This is your family!" she shouted.**

**Alice stood before the stairwell, the wind lifting her upward. She began laughing. "You abandoned me!" she cried out once more as she disappeared.**

**The wind died down immediately. Angela ran up the stairs as Gabriel tended to his fallen comrades. **

"**Be careful!" he shouted after her, hoping Nathan would swoop down to her rescue if need be. He turned to the two men as he tossed the bundles to the side. Mohinder was unconscious, but Matt was awake, but dazed. "Matt? Can you hear me? Can you focus? Matt!"**

**Matt's eyes darted about, trying to regain their surroundings. "M'inder?" he asked.**

"**Right on top of you," Gabriel replied, as he reached for Matt's wrist to check his pulse.**

**Matt's eyes focused on Gabriel and pulled his hand back. "Lemme 'lone, f'king kill'r," he grunted.**

**Gabriel winced at the accusation, but pushed it away. "Don't move, yet. Mohinder was struck by lightning and landed on top of you," he informed the dazed man as he began to check the Indian's vitals.**

"**Y'r not doctor, Pete is," Matt said groggily.**

"**The fact remains, Peter is not here at the moment, Mohinder was electrocuted and you may have suffered a concussion. Now lie still!" he ordered.**

**-**

**Nathan landed outside the bunker by his mother. "Ma? You guys alright?"**

"**Where did she go, Nathan?" she pleaded, grabbing his arms.**

"**I-I didn't see which way," he replied. "She was kicking up too much sand, I had to land for a few minutes. By the time it cleared, there was no sign of her, Ma. I'm sorry."**

**Angela hugged her son, crying. "Oh Alice, I'm so sorry! What have I done?" she sobbed.**

**Nathan could do nothing but hold her. He glanced back to the camp and saw a dust trail headed their way. "Looks like we've got more company, Ma."**

**Daphne sped up to the duo and stopped. "What'd we miss?"**

"**My aunt, the Storm Bringer," Nathan replied. "I think Matt is still inside," he motioned to the bunker.**

"**Thanks," she said and ran inside. A moment later, Nathan heard her scream, "NO! Get away from them!"**

**Angela and Nathan ran after the girl to see what had happened. They found Daphne, hands a blur, rapidly pummeling Sylar near the two prone bodies of Matt and Mohinder.**

"**Please, stop!" Gabriel yelled. "I was only trying to see if they were okay!" he grunted in pain and protest.**

**Matt tried to reach for her, mumbling, "Daph? No."**

**Nathan pulled her away from Gabriel. "What happened?"**

**Gabriel pulled himself together as his bruises quickly healed themselves. Daphne was slight, but hundreds of punches in under a minute took their toll. "I tried to tell her, Mohinder was truck by lightning, Matt may have a concussion. I was merely trying to ascertain their conditions."**

**Daphne knelt down by her boyfriend. "Matt? Are you okay?"**

"'**m alive, Daph, he mumbled. "He's telling truth, we're hurt. He wanted t'help." He grimaced as he said this, but she wasn't sure if it was because of the pain or his dislike for Sylar. He motioned to the man on top of him. "Mo, needs hospital." His eyes glazed over and his head fell back.**

"**Matt? Matt, stay with me!" she yelled. He gave a small groan and lolled his head to her. She turned to Nathan. "Can you fly them to a hospital?"**

"**I would if I knew they could be moved," he replied, kneeling beside her in the cramped space. "Even then, I'd be afraid of injuring them further by flying them somewhere."**

"**We have to do something!" she protested, looking to Gabriel and Angela, who seemed on the verge of tears, staring at the pair lying there.**

**Just as she was about to say something, a small girl's voice cried out. "Matt? Mohinder? Are you in here?"**

"**Molly, wait!" came a familiar accented voice in response.**

"**Hiro! Down here!" Daphne called out. "We need your help!"**

**Two feet pounded down the stairs, followed by the girl's scream. "Matt! Mohinder! **_**NO!"**_** She ran to their side, grabbing one of their hands in each of theirs.**

**Nathan turned to the Japanese teleporter. "Do you think you can take them to a hospital? Suresh was hit by lightning."**

**Hiro hesitated. "I-I do not know. My power, it is unreliable," he protested.**

**Angela spoke up. "You must, Hiro. You have to save their lives," she insisted.**

**Hiro, taken aback by her demand, nodded. "I will try."**

**Molly turned to him, crying. "You have to, Hiro, I can't lose my daddies again!"**

**He gave her a smile of understanding, then reached down to touch the pair. "Wait, where should I take them?"**

"**Have you been to the PrimaTech facility in Los Angeles?" Angela asked him.**

**Hiro shook his head. "No, I do not know where that is."**

**Angela sighed. "Fine then, what about the Odessa office?"**

"**Yes, I know where that is," he replied, nodding.**

**Angela nodded. "Fine, we will join you there as soon as we can."**

"**Take me with you!" Molly suddenly insisted.**

**Hiro smiled and nodded. "Okay, but you have to hold on very tight," he told her, then looked up at Daphne.**

"**Go, I'll meet you there in a few," she told him.**

**Hiro nodded and then vanished, holding Matt and Mohinder, as Molly clung to his arm as tight as she could.**

**Daphne stood and turned to Nathan. "Claire and I ran into Ando and Bennet in town, they're coming back with the vehicles. I'm guessing they'll be here shortly."**

"**Great, thanks Daphne," he replied. **

"**Gotta go," she said and disappeared in a blur.**

**Nathan caught Gabriel watching her as she left with a hungry look. He gave the man a disproving look. He turned to his mother. "What now?"**

**Angela finished wiping the tears from her eyes. "Now, we wait for everyone to return."**

**-**

"**It looks like this Formula of yours actually works," Knox said to the blonde sitting behind the desk at the makeshift office.**

**Tracy Strauss looked up at the strongman. "We need more volunteers. People we can control."**

"**I got plenty of boys that can step up, but I don't know about their loyalty after," he told her.**

**Tracy thought a moment. "There's a lot of homeless in the area, aren't there?"**

**Knox shrugged. "Yeah, what of it?"**

"**How much do you think they'd be willing to help test a new vaccine?" she smiled wickedly.**

**Knox thought about it a minute. "What's that saying? Better the devil you know than the devil you don't?"**

"**So you want to be betrayed by friends, or would you rather put down some strangers if they get out of control?"**

"**You got a point," he conceded. "How many we talking about here?"**

"**Well, since these doses are watered down, we can afford a few trial volunteers," she said. "After that, we'll see how it goes."**

"**I'll get a few of my boys on round up duty, right away."**

"**Let's start with a half-dozen, say by tomorrow?"**

**Knox nodded and left. Tracy picked up her cell.**

"**Yeah, it's me. I told Knox to bring in a half-dozen homeless by tomorrow. We're going to use the weaker Formula on them, see what happens. Of course I'll keep you apprised, Mr. P--" She paused while her boss yelled at her. "I have no reason to deny anything to you, sir. Yes, I understand. I'll let you know how it goes."**

**She closed the cell, and glared out the window. The sooner he got what he wanted, the sooner she could stop being his whipping boy. Girl. Whatever.**

**-**

"**You sure you'll be fine?"**

"**Grandma's resting, and will be fine in a few days, thanks to you, Peter," Monica replied. She bit her lip, not wanting to concede the next, "and Gabriel, too, I guess."**

**Peter smirked. "Well, if you don't mind, I'm going to head back and see how the others are faring at Coyote Sands."**

"**Thanks again, Peter."**

"**No problem, that's what I'm here for," he smirked and vanished in a small gust of air.**

**He returned to the spot he had left inside the stone circle with the remains of the bonfire still cooling. He then teleported outside of the wall to see if anyone was there. Glancing around, he saw a dust trail headed for the camp coming from the road. A small caravan of vehicles approached, Noah Bennet driving the lead. Peter greeted them as he pulled up.**

"**Where's your family, Suresh and Parkman?" Bennet asked.**

"**I don't know, I just got back, myself," he replied. "Ms. Dawson will be fine, by the way."**

"**Do you have Nathan's flight? Can you do an aerial recon to see where everyone is?"**

"**Not at the moment, but I can do some random teleports around the camp, see if I can find them," he said.**

"**I'd advise against that," Noah cautioned. "It seems the young lady who put the wall around the fire last night also erected a maze of stone between the buildings."**

"**Young lady?"**

**Noah jerked his thumb at one of the vehicles. Peter glanced over and saw a new face behind the wheel. "That's Miss Sparrow Redhouse, geokinetic."**

"**Impressive," he replied. "So what do we do, then?"**

**Noah was looking at something behind the nurse. "Ask your brother," he pointed. Peter turned to see Nathan alighting near them.**

"**About time you all showed up," the former Junior Congressman said. "You missed all the fun. And Aunt Alice."**

**Noah Bennet and Peter Petrelli gave each other confused looks.**

"**Hurricane Alice has come and gone, already," he explained. "Meanwhile, Ma wants everyone back here, ASAP."**

"**Who else is missing?" Peter asked.**

"**Hiro had to take Suresh and Parkman to Odessa, took the girl with him," he said. "Mom said she needs everyone back here for the next part. Go run Claire to Odessa, and get young Ms. Dawson back here, double-time, Pete."**

**Peter crossed his arms and leaned to Noah. "You got any brothers?"**

"**No. No, I don't" he replied coolly.**

"**Want one?" he chuckled and disappeared to Claire's car in a gust of wind before Nathan could retort. "Come on, your dad has a mission for you," he said.**

"**A 'mission'? Doing what?"**

"**Probably saving Mohinder and Matt's lives, allegedly," he replied as he held her hand and they disappeared.**

**Having dropped her off at PrimaTech's Odessa office, Peter returned to Nana Dawson's hospital room. "Hey, Monica, can I borrow you for a few minutes?" he asked, startling her.**

"**Peter?! You just left and now you need me again? What happened?"**

"**I don't know, but my mother has requested everyone return, but I don't think she meant your grandmother in her condition. I wouldn't let her, anyway."**

"**I guess, since I still need to get Damon," she replied, grabbing her jacket. Peter put his arm over her shoulder and they disappeared as a nurse walked in, just missing them. She shook her head in confusion, having heard a conversation only to find the room empty, save the sleeping Nana Dawson.**

**-**

**Claire entered the PrimaTech offices, remembering where her father's office used to be. She was surprised to find a familiar face waiting for her.**

"**Hello, Claire," he greeted. "Your grandmother sent you?"**

"**uh, yeah? Why are you here?" she asked the Haitian.**

"**She also asked me to come down here to wait for you."**

"**When did she do that?"**

**He smiled. "A few days ago. Now come, Doctor Suresh and Detective Parkman need your assistance."**

"**Right, and by assistance, you mean my blood?" she laughed.**

"**Yes, that, too," he chuckled, leading her to the infirmary where an anxious Hiro Nakamura and Daphne Millbrook waited with young Molly Walker while her foster fathers were triaged.**

"**How'd you get here so fast?" Daphne inquired.**

"**Peter dropped me off," Claire replied.**

"**Are you here to help?" Molly asked her.**

**Claire took one look at the little girl and sighed. "How can I refuse a sad face like that?" She began rolling up her sleeve.**

**Fifteen minutes later, Matt was sitting up, rubbing his sore head. "I owe you what?"**

**Claire smiled. "Dinner, for starters," she said smugly. "Also, promise me no more foolish sacrifices that could orphan that little girl outside in the waiting room."**

"**Molly's here?" he asked, groaning. "And for the record, Mohinder was the one who yelled at that lady to calm down, she retaliated by throwing lightning at him, knocking him into me. I was merely an innocent bystander."**

"**This time."**

**Matt blushed. "Yeah, this time. How's Angela, by the way?"**

"**What?" Claire asked, caught off guard.**

"**I saw another flash of lightning before I blacked out the first time," he informed her. "I take since she's not here, she's okay?"**

"**Peter didn't say anything about Angela?"**

"**Peter came back? Is he the one who brought us here?"**

"**No, he just dropped me off. Hiro is out sitting with Daphne and Molly. I would guess he's the one who brought you back? Oh, and Angela wants us back right away, by the way."**

**Matt was about to answer her when Mohinder groaned, coming around. "Yeah, give us a minute to catch our breath, why doesn't she?" he mused.**

**It was another hour before the staff doctor would release them, much to Matt and Mohinder's chagrin. Hiro took Claire and Mohinder, who held Molly, back first before returning for Matt and Daphne. He was surprised to see them kissing when he returned.**

"**Oh. Is this a bad time?" he asked sheepishly.**

"**What?" Matt asked. "No, I was just reassuring her I'm feeling fine," he replied, suddenly feeling guilty for having been caught kissing.**

**Hiro gave Daphne a funny look. "Oh. Well then," he said, somewhat somberly. He held out his hands. "If you are ready?"**

**Matt couldn't shake the feeling he had somehow upset Hiro as he and Daphne each took a hand, still holding on to each other's as Hiro teleported them back to Arizona.**

**As the trio returned, Hiro immediately shied away from Matt and went off to find Ando. Matt and Daphne exchanged confused looks as Angela called everyone together.**

"**I was talking to Nana Dawson last night after she arrived. She knew the real reason I called you all out here," she explained. "You see, my family came here when I was a teen, back in 1961. I met some friends who have now all sadly left us. We managed to escape what happened here by sheer luck. Charles DeVeaux, Daniel Linderman, Bob Bishop and I went to look for some outside help as things were growing too tense for what we had been told was a helpful endeavour to those of us struggling to control and accept what we could do," she continued. "We weren't gone long when it happened. I knew something was coming, but I didn't realize what would happen to my family and many new friends I met here."**

"**But you survived?" Daphne asked, as Matt tried to shush her.**

"**Yes, Miss Millbrook, we managed to survive, as did my sister, Alice, as Mr. Gray, Dr. Suresh and Detective Parkman can attest, having encountered her today. Many others here did not."**

**She scanned the faces of the group. Mostly curious, some shocked at her last statement.**

"**Maybe it would have been easier to make you learn for yourselves, but fortune has brought someone to us that can do the work for us," she told them. "Miss Redhouse?"**

**Sparrow jumped in surprise. "Me?"**

"**Yes, you. You can move the earth, do you not? You raised the walls of stone and such?" She waved towards the compound huts.**

"**Y-yes?"**

"**You can also reveal things long buried?"**

"**Well, yes, but--wait, buried?"**

"**Nana told me herself, she could still feel the restless spirits that still remained," Angela informed the group. "If we are to start the Company anew, you must learn why and how it was formed the first time." She walked a short distance to a barren patch of ground. "Miss Redhouse, if you would be so kind?"**

**Sparrow stepped over to Angela and motioned to the ground nervously, waving her hands apart. The earth shuddered, moved, and a small pit formed. A few feet down, Sparrow gasped as bones lay revealed. A tattered baseball glove lay on top of the small skeleton. A small hole in the skull.**

"**Frankie Davis," Angela said as the others crowded the boy's shallow grave. She stepped a few feet away and pointed to the ground again. "Here."**

**Sparrow followed and parted the earth once more. Another skeleton lay revealed.**

"**Do the children really need to see this?" Sandra protested.**

"**Yes, Mrs. Bennet, they do," Angela replied calmly. "I knew everyone buried here and I was their age when this happened. They need to know what can happen to them if they allow it."**

"**I won't let you--"**

"**Your husband has killed to protect this secret, and much worse. As have I," she admitted. Sandra stared in shock at Noah, who worked his jaw in aggravation at his former boss' revelation. She turned to Matt. "What about you, Detective? How many have you shot? How many have you killed in the line of duty?"**

"**I haven't had to," Matt said barely hiding his disgust at her accusation, especially with Molly present.**

"**Consider yourself lucky, then," she said. "This is what could happen to all of us. Sometimes, it will come down to kill or be killed."**

**She looked around the group, nervous looks were tossed about. Gabriel stared at her, displeased.**

"**Kill or be killed," she repeated. "It has happened before, it will happen again. Trust me on this."**

"**Are we done here?" Matt asked sternly, a scared Molly whimpering into his shoulder. She didn't need to hear this.**

"**No, Detective. In the field, when we were hunting the more, shall we say, 'volatile' and dangerous abilities, my code name was 'Cassandra'. It was something my husband, Arthur, and his friend, Daniel Linderman, came up with, having used code names on the military mission where they first met as 'Dallas' and 'Austin'." She faced Matt again. "Do you want to know what your father's was?"**

**Matt shook his head grimly.**

**She cast a glance to the young girl cradled in his arms before looking him in the eye again. "Nightmare."**

**Molly winced and hugged Matt tighter.**

"**You don't believe me, Detective?"**

"**These are different times. **_**We**_** don't have to be like that," he countered.**

"_**We**_** didn't want to 'be like that', either, but we had to. It wasn't easy, it never is."**

"**I was on the Force for over a decade, I know what it's like out there!"**

"**Yes, normal people with normal weapons, Detective," she reminded him. "We are all **_**living **_**weapons."**

"**I am not a weapon!"**

"**It's too bad your father isn't here to tell you otherwise."**

**Matt started to argue, but Nathan stepped over and held his hands up between the two. "Enough! Mom, Matt, both of you should know better!"**

"**That's my point, Nathan. I do know what has happened to people like us in the past, and what is yet to come for you all. I am merely trying to prepare you."**

"**And scare the kids!" Matt argued, fuming at the woman. Sandra nodded in agreement.**

**Angela kept a tight rein on her emotions. Barely a flicker of the eye before she responded. "Detective, I--"**

"_**No!" **_**he shouted and immediately regretted his outburst. "No, I'm sorry, but we're done here, Mrs. Petrelli. You made your point. I'm getting my family out of here before you scare them any more." He turned and started to walk away.**

"**Scaring the children, or scaring **_**you**_**, Detective?"**

"**Ma, that's enough!" Nathan interjected, pulling her aside. "I don't know what you've got against Matt, but it ends. Now."**

"**I'm merely trying to prepare him, Nathan. Prepare all of you."**

"**Preparing for what?"**

**She turned back to see Matt give her one last dirty look before Daphne sped off with him and Molly. **

"**The future, Nathan. The future."**

**Mohinder stepped over to the pair. "Pardon my intrusion, Mrs. Petrelli, but you said my father worked here?"**

**She gave him a long look before replying, "Yes, what of it?"**

"**Would you mind if I took a look around? See if he left something behind that might be of use?"**

"**I think that would be highly unlikely, but do as you wish," she told him. "I don't think my sister will be back, but if she does return, don't let her find you, she won't like it."**

"**I understand, and thank you," he said before wandering off to a building marked "BLDG 26 - LAB", thinking it would be the best place to start investigating.**

**Angela called her youngest over. "I think it would be okay to take Ms. Dawson and her brother to visit their grandmother, now."**

"**What am I, a taxi, now?" Peter joked.**

"**Don't get smart with me," she chided before kissing him goodbye.**

"**What about the rest of us, Ma?" Nathan asked.**

"**Don't worry, I have a job for you, as well."**

**-**

**Los Angeles**

Knox and his men ushered the homeless they had gathered into the makeshift lab Tracy had set up. She could barely stand the stench of the group.

"You couldn't hose them down, first?" she asked, looking over the raggedy group. Most of them were lean and malnourished, but one was heavy-set, at least 350 pounds she guessed.

"You know how long it's gonna take to get that smell out of our rides?" he countered.

"Alright, you have a point," she conceded. "First things first, we need blood samples. Have them at least wash their hands and arms, while I get ready for that. The boss also wants a video of the 'volunteers' for some reason."

"Why don't he come down here, himself?"

"He has his reasons, now go get them washed up. And make sure they use plenty of soap!"

While Knox supervised the clean-up, Tracy set up the video camera, then prepared the syringes. She made the men write down their information as she took their blood, asking for basic details like name, age, place of birth and any known disease, although she was sure several had undiagnosed infections of various sorts.

She sent one of Knox's men out for food for the group as she ran the basic test to identify if they had the proper genetic marker that the Formula would enhance.

"It's a motley group, to say the least, sir," she informed her boss as she looked over the results. "At best, we may have lucked into two promising results out of the six we brought in. A Charlie Fabian and it looks like Bradley? He crossed out 'Johnny C' before writing that. That was probably an alias or nickname."

"I want to see them both, first."

"Yes sir, I can send the video to you and--"

"No, I want to see them in person."

Tracy hesitated. "Whatever you say, sir."

"I'll be there in an hour. Tell Knox and his men to leave."

Tracy passed the order on to her associate and waited with the malodorous group. When her boss finally arrived, he took one look at them and pulled the two she mentioned into a side office.

"Do you two know the potential you have? That you have squandered?" he asked them.

The pair looked at him in confusion, the larger one still munching away at a sandwich.

He pointed at the redhead. "Come here."

The man stepped toward his benefactor, who laid a hand on either side of his head and bowed in concentration. The man began screaming in agony. The elder grunted as if caught off guard in pain, but refused to show any other sign of weakness.

"Charlie? You okay?" the fat man asked, suddenly fearing he was next. Charlie collapsed in exhaustion. The elder man now approached him and grabbed his head. Bradley screamed as his mind felt like it was going to burst. He fell to the floor beside his friend.

"W-what did you do to us?" he moaned.

"I just released the potential you've hidden from the world."

"I'm hungry," he said. "I'm starving." He looked up at the man, who suddenly took a step back. Then he noticed the door to the other room was still open, and, as the elder man motioned, there was now a buffet waiting to be consumed. He slowly stood and stumbled toward it.

"Johnny, wait," Charlie cried out, grabbing at his friend.

Before his eyes, Johnny started growing even thicker, his mass expanding. Charlie pulled his hand back and it stopped. Johnny glanced down to his friend then stumbled to the waiting buffet before him.

Charlie was shocked by what he saw. Tracy had to flee the room, both in disgust and to save her own skin.

"What did you do to us?" Charlie demanded, grabbing her.

"Get off of me!" she cried, pushing him back. Suddenly, her arm dissolved into water and she found that the stream her arm had become had pushed the man into the wall, pinning him there as if funneling a firehose. She gasped in surprise and her arm returned to normal after a few tense moments of concentration. "What the hell was that?" she asked her boss, who had disappeared.

She ran back to the other room, to find him standing over the cannibal, body parts strewn everywhere. She choked back the vomit in her throat. He was holding the fat man's greasy (and now bloody) head again. "Yes, this will do nicely," he said.

Tracy watched as the men appeared to be locked in a staring contest for a long minute before her boss finally broke off and stumbled back.

"What the hell? Where am I?" he asked.

She stepped to him. "Mr. Parkman? What's wrong?"

"Do I--? Strauss, isn't it?" he asked, disoriented. "Arthur recruited you the other day, didn't he?"

"The other day?" she echoed in surprise. "It's been over--"

She never finished that thought, as both were suddenly laid low by the towering behemoth before them. "Yes, this body will do nicely...for now." He began laughing that would have sent chills down the spines of Maury Parkman and Tracy Strauss had they still been conscious to hear it.

"Johnny? Is that you?" came a weak voice from the next room.

The man turned and strode into the room after it. "Charlie Fabian?"

"J-Johnny?" he asked.

"Is that who this body used to belong to?" the gargantuan man inquired. "Come with me if you want to change the world, Mr. Fabian. And you can call me the Head Man around here, now." He gave a wicked smile as he licked his bloody fingers.

-

**Sullivan Brothers Circus**

Joseph Sullivan surveyed the storm blowing in from the west.

"What is it, brother?" Samuel asked, joining him.

"It looks like we have a new addition to the family, Samuel," he replied.

"This is the woman Lydia said was coming?"

"Go send Violet to greet her, why don't you?"

"Why not greet her ourselves?"

"This one requires a more delicate touch, Samuel," he replied. "A friendly female face is what's called for with this one. Violet is just the woman for the job, I think."

"If you say so, brother," Samuel replied, turning on the heel of his worn snakeskin boots and striding back into the grounds, black duster blowing in the wind.

Joseph called after him, "What about the boy in Georgia? The healer?"

"I've already sent Edgar to scout him out, Samuel replied. "He should be back by ton--"

"Joseph! Samuel!" Edgar cried out, running to a stop by the two men, trying to catch his breath. "The healer! There's a problem with him!"

"Nothing I'm sure we can't handle," Samuel replied smugly.

"No, you don't understand," Edgar said. "He's not just a healer. Something happened, he's changed. He also brings death."

Joseph and Samuel locked eyes for a moment, considering this new turn of events. "Well now, that does complicate things, doesn't it, brother?" Samuel said before turning on his heel and heading toward the Carnival's trailers once more.

Joseph watched his brother leave with dark eyes. "Edgar, you're sure?"

"His parents are dead, birds, the lawn, all dead."

"That's a shame. Come with me to see Arnold, he doesn't have much time."

___________

**NEXT: RECRUITMENT**


End file.
